Can We Take a Hiatus from Collab Culture?

Just for a little bit.

Photo: Chevrolet

Speaking as a guy that currently owns multiple pieces from collaborations, I think we all just need a little break. We are currently living in a time where Chevrolet collaborated with Carhartt on a truck. Like a real, physical pickup truck. I feel as though it is time that we all just take some time off and maybe chill out on collabs for a bit.

Hype is the name of the game these days and if an item isn’t exclusive, limited quantities, only available in some cities, etc. it just isn’t cool. This is just so exhausting. People are always trying to get the one thing that nobody else has and they are willing to spend a ridiculous amount of money on shit like this.

So, there are a few reasons I think we all need a break. First up, I just can’t afford to buy the newest hype thing every week, I am broke. Second, so many quality items are just being ignored because they aren’t “hype” or exclusive. And even some of the hype things are forgotten about because there is just so much shit it gets drained out. But the third thing is, I just want to see what brands can do on their own for once!

Money is obviously the first thing I mentioned and this whole hype and collab culture we are in has some pros and cons in terms of money.

On the pro side, you have teens and others buying these shoes for retail and then flipping them for two to three times what they paid. This market is allowing people to make some real money from these items.

A con to this, you have sneakers that once cost $200 now cost $2,000. The resell prices are truly getting out of hand. The people who were once actually interested in the shoes can’t afford to buy them, a lot of the market is people simply wanting to resell them for the money.

And back to the people that are buying the shoes and clothes – a lot of the time, they do not care about the item, they just want to wear them once, post a picture, then get rid of them. The genuine interest and love for the items has seem to have fallen off. There is of course the love for the brands and culture so to speak, but the genuine interest for the items is lost. People will either get a hype item and wear them once before selling them again OR they put them in their collection, never to be worn.

The money in all of this is so inflated and people are spending thousands of dollars on a variation of a shoe that originally costs $100. This leads me into the second reason we need a break from the hype – the original products.

In the sea of shoes and clothes and consumerism today, a lot is left at the way side. The classics are not as popular because people want a zip tie or a name of another designer on their shoe. To give an example, the current resell price on the Off White x Converse Chuck Taylor 70s is upwards of $500 on Goat, yet a pair of normal Chuck 70s costs $85. Both shoes are the same construction but the Off White ones have some extra stylistic elements to them.

What I am really saying is that you can buy the same shoes without the collaboration for a fraction of the price. The classics are classics for a reason. A pair of Adidas Stan Smiths or Sambas are always in style and they will always be an affordable price. You do not have to spend thousands of dollars on shoes that are basically the same are the regular, great quality classics.

Before I talk about the last reason, I just want to disclose that I do appreciate collaborations and I think they can be beneficial to both parties involved. When a large brand collabs with a small one, they are giving recognition and press to the smaller brand. The smaller brand also has access to facilities and resources that they previously would not have the opportunity to use.

All that being said, can y’all just make your own stuff? Of course designers are always creating their own lines and collections and only a fraction of that is a collaboration BUT I just want to see a collab free season. I want to see what one specific brand can do and what their brand vision is.

Collaborating can be an interesting and creative way to see how two designers and creatives come together but I want to see a brand stay true to their vision. I feel as though a bit of their mission and vison is lost when always collaborating. Like what is their normal direction?

Again, designers are always evolving and changing which is great, but I want to see that happen organically and not by the influence of a partnership.

I am by no means saying collaborating should stop, I just think we could all use a little bit of a break.