Allowing designers to be a bit more experimental, while giving brands and retailers an appeal to a slightly different customer base, it’s easy to see why collaborations are still so popular. This year, there has once again been plenty of them – October being a particularly hot month for launches.
Serial collaborators such as Barbour and Levi’s even did one together, while Irish beverage brand Guinness followed on from its 2023 collab with Labrum, and its 2024 joint collection with JW Anderson, to do one with Lazy Oaf, who’s founder and designer Gemma Shiel aptly grew up in a Soho pub run by her Irish father. We say an end of year ‘cheers’ to 10 of the best of 2025.
Dilara Findikoglu brings high fashion to the high street with Boux Avenue collaboration
January
Kicking off the new year came a collaboration between London-based avant-garde designer Dilara Findikoglu, who has become a staple of London Fashion Week in recent years, and high street lingerie label Boux Avenue on a bold corsetry-inspired limited-edition collection of 10 designer lingerie looks.
Since founding her label in 2016, Findikoglu has become known for her goth-glamour aesthetic and innovative designs, and she has previously been shortlisted for British New Establishment Designer of the Year at the British Fashion Awards, so it was an interesting coming together with Boux Avenue described as “a bold and contemporary celebration of empowered femininity”. Think 1950s pin-ups and fetish magazines and you’re on the money.
Zoe Price-Smith, Chief Design and Product Officer at Boux Avenue, said: “Celebrated for its accessible luxury lingerie, the Boux Avenue brand goes from strength to strength. What better way to turn heads than with this cool limited-edition collab.” A head turner indeed, especially in the window of Boux Avenue’s Oxford Street London flagship.
DAKS and John Smedley join forces for knitwear collaboration collection
March
This one was important on many levels, as it was the joining forces of two British heritage brands with the focus on ‘Made in England’ manufacturing and one of the first collections since John Smedley reopened its production lines to other brands for seasonal orders.
However, recognising their shared values and admiration for one another, what was initially a conversation to manufacture DAKS own product turned into a true partnership, bringing together their design teams and talent for the first time to create co-branded collaborative knitwear designs across 12 men’s and women’s pieces.
DAKS celebrated its 130th anniversary in 2024, and it wanted to ensure that the first collaboration for 2025 was with a brand and manufacturer “as steeped in British fashion history as themselves”.
With its Derbyshire factory being operational since 1784, John Smedley is the oldest knitwear maker in the world and globally renowned for its craftsmanship, so the partnership made immediate sense. It also brought DAKS back to the fashion frontline in a subtle but stylish way.
Nobody’s Child teams up with Poppy Delevingne for new collaboration collection
April
Spring 2025 brought us the launch of a new collaboration collection between womenswear brand Nobody’s Child and English model and actress Poppy Delevingne, described as “a love letter to modern versatility”.
Drawing inspiration from Delevingne’s eclectic wardrobe of vintage festival staples and day-to-night looks, there was a sprinkling of sassy chic with a rock ‘n’ roll aesthetic, and plenty of design input from Delevingne. Inspired by her travels and “treasured moments”, the collection had been in the making since the summer of 2024 when hand painted prints were first being created.
Commenting on the collection, Delevingne said: “This collection has been a real passion project for me – merging my love for vintage and timeless style with the brand’s commitment to sustainability. We have worked hard to create pieces that are not only fashion-forward but easy to wear.”
Highlights in the collection included soft, feminine silhouettes with details like puff sleeves, ruffles, and subtle pleating, balanced by sharp tailoring and lived-in denim – anchored by the standout fringed jacket. There were also playful mini dresses featuring florals and floaty chiffon, vintage-inspired eveningwear reminiscent of lingerie slips with lace and leopard print, and retro nods to the 1970s with crochet tops and patchwork dresses. It all worked rather well and could well be the start of things to come.
Freemans unveils first collaboration collection with Sophie Ellis-Bextor
September
Sophie Ellis-Bextor was the face of Freemans’ SS25 campaign and collection, and prior to that also fronted the AW24 launch, so having her own Freemans x Sophie Ellis-Bextor edit was a natural progression – and will most likely not be the first and last.
Working alongside the buying and design team for the first time, Ellis-Bextor’s unique and quirky style shined through in the designs in what was described as “a collection taking women from the school run to the dance floor”.
Key pieces included a dark denim wide-leg jumpsuit, retailing at £89, a faux fur leopard print coat (£139) and a black satin vintage-inspired dress (£99) – all of which we’re guessing flew out of the digital department store’s warehouse from savvy online shoppers placing early autumn orders.
Ellis-Bextor said: “As a busy mum, I know how important it is to have pieces that work hard but still bring joy and that’s exactly what we’ve created. I’ve taken inspiration from stylish friends, my favourite pieces from my own wardrobe and all the things I want to own. What a treat to collaborate with Freemans on this.” A treat for Freemans fans too.
StockX sees Oasis x Adidas resale prices double ahead of Wembley tour return
September
Given Noel and Liam Gallagher’s genuine love of the brand, no doubt born out of their early years on the terraces at Manchester City when they would have worn Adidas trainers (and still do), it was no surprise to see Oasis get into bed with the German sportswear giant for an exclusive limited-edition collaboration in the year of their reunion tour. The first drop came in June 2025.
Pop-up shops selling tour ‘merch’ as well as this collaboration collection of trainers and apparel then sprung up all over the UK when Oasis were in town, but what was interesting was how in demand said collab pieces became. In September, we reported that ahead of Oasis’s return to Wembley Stadium for a further two dates – on 27 and 28 September – on its sell-out Live ’25 tour, the band’s collaboration with Adidas Originals were generating “a major buzz on the secondary market”.
That was according to StockX, the US-based online resale marketplace for sneakers, apparel and accessories, which was seeing limited-edition sneakers and tour jerseys being snapped up at a rapid pace, with fans paying “significant premiums” to get hold of them. Creating unseen demand and raising brand profile is what collaborating is all about, and for Adidas Originals and Oasis this was a winner all round.
John Lewis to launch first menswear collaboration collection for 10 years with Labrum
October
John Lewis has been very busy upping its fashion game this year, with the aim to attract new and younger customers at the heart of it. Hence the collaboration with Labrum on a 38-piece collection, the retailer’s first menswear collab for 10 years no less.
The range was carefully created by Labrum’s founder and Creative Director, Foday Dumbuya, who was recently nominated for British Menswear Designer of the Year by the British Fashion Council, and John Lewis’ in-house design team.
It was inspired by a fusion of cultures, combining the bold patterns and vibrant textiles of West Africa with contemporary British colour and silhouettes. Premium fabrics were used throughout, including lambswool, high grade cotton, Merino wool, cashmere and leather, while the autumnal palette of “inky” navy and brown with pops of mustard yellow, burnt orange and soft neutral shades worked very nicely.
Speaking about how the collaboration came about, Dumbuya said: “When we first met the John Lewis team in Paris last year, I was inspired by the potential to weave our two brands together. Our shared passion for storytelling, a celebration of the UK’s diversity and a love for textiles created a beautiful synergy.” A meeting that has presumably worked out well for both parties.
M&S unveils second collaboration collection with Bella Freud
October
Another high street giant and designer collab, and the second between M&S and Bella Freud following on from the debut AW24 collection. The AW25 line brought Freud’s “irreverent cool” take to a fully-fledged lifestyle collection across womenswear, menswear, childrenswear, lingerie and homeware – a new addition for this year.
Freud worked collaboratively with the M&S design team to create the collection, and each statement word or phrase featured on the designs were hand drawn in her synonymous style. Key pieces included the ‘Wham Bam’ jumper, a velvet tuxedo jacket, silk shirts, a cashmere coat and a terry towelling cosmetics bag with ‘Beautiful’ on the side.
The collection was based on the idea of entertaining at home, with a real festive angle – whether that meant dressing up and feeling glam, or the family hanging out in matching pj’s. The kids’ versions were beyond cute, coming in a 100% cotton sateen in a soft blue with contrasting red piping, buttons and embroidered words – ‘Dreamers’, ‘Snuggle’ and ‘Snooze’. There was even a dog jumper with ‘Best Friend’ on it.
Maddy Evans, M&S Womenswear Director, said: “After the huge success of the debut M&S X Bella Freud collection last October, it was a no brainer that we team up with Bella once again.” You just know that this latest collection sold like hot cakes once again.
Tottenham Hotspur ups style stakes with new John Smedley collaboration
October
This was perhaps the most unlikely of collaborations of 2025, but given the growing crossover between football and fashion maybe it should have been less of surprise. Still, pitching North London’s Spurs with heritage Derbyshire knitwear brand John Smedley was certainly left field, though tastefully executed. The limited-edition luxury six-piece knitwear collection featured four 100% Merino wool pieces, including a long-sleeved polo, a ¼ zip neck jumper, a crew neck and a V-neck knit, all in navy or grey options, as well as a lambswool beanie and a scarf.
Each piece came with Spurs’ club crest – a cockerel standing on a football – in a tonal shade on the chest, with retail prices for the knitwear ranging from £225 to £275. Even the beanie was £80 and the scarf £140, not your average Spurs online club shop prices that’s for sure. It would have been interesting to find out the fan uptake.
What was perhaps not so well thought out was getting former Spurs players Ledley King and Michael Dawson to model the collection against the backdrop of Walthamstow Wetlands (with the stadium visible in the distance). Both were decent enough players in their day, but they should perhaps stick to punditry nowadays!
Levi’s gives Barbour a denim overhaul for limited-edition collaboration collection
October
Barbour and Levi’s are both big brands that are known to love a collaboration, so it made perfect sense for them to turn to each other for one this year, in what was described as “fusing two titans of functional design”.
Barbour’s signature wax cotton and Levi’s famous denim merged for what was “a celebration of utility and style”. For men, there was the Levi’s x Barbour ‘Bedale’ jacket in two distinct iterations, including a denim workwear-inspired version with triple needle topstitching, antique brass metal trims and a resin rinse finish.
Then there was the women’s Levi’s x Barbour ‘Spey Wax Jacket’ that reimagined Barbour’s classic silhouette in tobacco wax cotton with a brown cord collar, featuring pocket flaps shaped like Levi’s iconic arcuate, trucker-style cuffs and waistband, and a back cinch characteristic of Levi’s archival denim.
Another key piece was the ‘Type II Waxed Trucker Jacket’ which comes in Barbour’s most traditional olive colourway with brown cord collar, while the ‘Type II Denim Trucker’ version offered mid-wash indigo denim with a distinctively Barbour green cord collar and tonal embroidery at the cuff placket. There were also jeans, cords, a hoodie and a graphic T-shirt in the mix. All in all, very nicely done, with nods to the history of both brands.
In Pictures: Lazy Oaf raises a pint to Guinness’ new London home with limited-edition streetwear collection
December
This fun joint venture was launched earlier this month, initially via the Lazy Oaf website on 4 December, with additional items dropping exclusively at the new Guinness Open Gate Brewery ‘Guinness Good Things’ store on London’s Neal Street in Covent Garden on 11 December.
Under the title of ‘What’s the Rush?’, the 25-piece collection features jackets, knitwear, T-shirts, caps and gloves, and is “inspired by the anticipation that comes with waiting for a great pint to settle”, as well as Guinness’ iconic advertising.
Marrying the latest trends in streetwear with design cues from historical brewery workwear, including ‘drayman’ details alongside Lazy Oaf founder Gemma Shiel’s much-loved illustration style, it’s an unexpected but standout line. You have to love a pint-shaped pocket too.
Shiel says she always looks for a genuine connection before saying yes to a collaboration. As her Irish father owned and operated a pub in Soho where she grew up, you can’t get much more of a genuine connection than that.