A look at the ugly, stylish and plain stupid
Capsule collections have always been a mixed bag. A spectrum that ranges between excellent to egregious, partnerships have the difficult job of making fans of all labels involved happy – leaving the design prints of both while still managing to produce goods that are original and of genuine quality.
Though more of a running pattern in the sneaker industry, it isn’t enough to slap some logos and names onto an old, uninspired silhouette. The most amazing collaborations always offer an interesting twist – playful insight and weird experimentation, something that wouldn’t be possible for either brand on their own. But of course, with money and laziness at stake, this isn’t always the case. And just the same, this year sees the same mixture of horrible and magnificent releases.
Best: Marc Jacobs x Dr. Martens
Docs are known for their collaborations, and for good reason. A versatile style icon whose history stretches across subculture, movements and youth fashion from the year of its inception, giving designers a chance to reimagine its distinguished footwear is never a mistake.
Merging together Jacobs’ signature Kiki Boot with British heritage, the statement shoe features skittish belt closures on a heeled platform. Runway detailing with traditional imagery makes this one of the best releases of the year yet.
Worst: Ganni x Disney
Disney collaborations aren’t really known for striking appearances. Unless it’s a brand with a particularly unique design language or talent for reimagination, à la Number (N)ine or Balmain – the overwhelmingly recognisable iconography of Mickey Mouse and his friends transforms basic clothing into even more basic movie merchandise.
Unfortunately, Ganni’s knit sweaters and leather bags achieve the latter. Neither imaginative nor creative, there’s little to be said about this capsule.
Best: Simone Rocha x Crocs
Crocs, similar to the Docs, are nearly universally identifiable. They’re both known for reliability, utility and convenience. However, unlike the workwear brand which is known for yellow stitching and timeless aesthetics, Crocs have become somewhat of a joke. Like socks and sandals, it’s associated with the most fashion unaware of little kids, middle-aged dads and sloppy teenagers.
It’s this intense visual discernment that makes designer reinterpretations so attractive. With pearl accessories, dainty embellishments on platforms and solid colored palettes, the rubber transforms from preschool-waterfight-wear into a powerful statement piece.
Worst: Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1
When Nike first announced their partnership with the rapper pre-Astroworld disaster, these were the most coveted grails of every hypebeast alive. Mirroring the swoosh was such a unique touch that blended a minimalist mischief with an unmatched cool factor.
But it’s 2026 – it’s boring now. These releases are overdone, new colorways aren’t doing anything for people with modern tastes.
Best: Kiko Kostadinov x ASICS
It might be unfair to put someone who is arguably the best menswear designer of today on this list, but tabi sneakers have done it once again. A partnership that continues to give Kostadinov free reign over classic silhouettes, sci-fi styles, unique changes and ever experimental avant garde wildness never fails to disappoint.
Coming in distinctly imposing palettes of black-and-blue, shaded green, tiffany blue and turquoise, these statement sneakers feature the signatures of both the Georgian creative master and the Japanese athletics giant all over them.
Worst: Yohji Yamamoto x Hublot
Yohji Yamamoto loves to talk about his fashion philosophies and metaphysical positions on gender, appearances and presentation. For good reason too – his accumulated archives and current work continue to speak volumes in how to form a coherent universe through clothing.
Nevertheless, aside from his own personal brands – he also loves to contradict what he says. He says he hates branding – declaring that those that wear such are “fashion victims”. And yet, his countless diffusion lines continue to produce low-effort, low-quality capsules with the most insignificant of cultural figures, these collaborations never seem to produce anything that goes beyond photoshopping a graphic onto a t-shirt.
Here with Hublot, the conundrum is most apparent. Yes, an all-black color is very Yohji – but other than that, it’s just his name on the dial. It’s a contradiction at best, and an easy cash-grab at worst.
See also: An overview of John Galliano’s career