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In 2019, no one does it alone. Be it for a new line promotion, top season campaigns, launching new products or building a portfolio, it seems that collaborations are everywhere. Creative collaborations come in various forms, and they are especially trending with the rise of social media. However, collaborations are not a new marketing trick, and they were always there. Creative professionals know that shared effort and unified vision can have amazing results – both creatively, and business-wise. Collaborations have that magic combo – newness and commerciality.
Today, a truly modern brand must be relatable and accessible, a savvy social communicator, and the center of a community of creatives, artists, muses, and friends. Without a doubt, creative collaborations are reshaping and revitalizing the fashion and beauty industry, and they are an essential part of marketing as much as having a great social media presence.
So let’s go through some basic modes of collaborations in the beauty and fashion industry.
The magnificent duo: Brands & fashion designers
Behind every brand’s name, credibility and identity stand creative designers. They work hard to keep that name ranked high on the market each season. However, it seems that independent designer collaborations with brands became the new element that adds more credibility to this naturally established arrangement. Artist is no longer an isolated genius. It is all about bringing different types of unique together and creating something original as a result. We have seen many examples of strong associations between famous designers, fast-fashion or high-end brands. Of course, many times it is a marketing shtick, but often is a creative collision that was bound to happen.
“We’re sharing the space, but no one is losing their identity. If anything, what each of us does is somehow accentuated. The result can only be positive.” – Rei Kawakubo
The new ingredient: Influencers
In the fashion arena, collabs include traditional associations of creative professionals who were always a natural pairing in the industry. With social media, which is essential for creating product placement and creating an appealing brand image – there are new people in the mix, and those are influencers. They are the latest and strongest marketing force in beauty and fashion. And the beauty and fashion industry are adopting these changes fast. Co-branding or collaborating with influencers is the top marketing approach today. They are essential for product placement and increasing visibility on social media. Brands want to collaborate with seemingly more ‘everyday’ people who have large followings on platforms such as Instagram.
The year 2018. went down as a year when influencer marketing exploded! Today it is an industry worth 8 billion, with the projection of going up to 15 billion till 2022. With that data, we are free to say that collaborations with influencers are the present and the future of marketing in fashion and beauty. And many brands know how to use this for mutual benefit.
Related: Steps to Becoming A Successful Influencer
When Influencers team up with brands
Paid partnerships with influencers are a great way to present new products, promote collections and attract customers subtly. In return, influencers gain more traffic to their blogs and profiles, more income and popularity. This is why choosing influencers wisely can make a big difference. The best examples of such collaborations we see between brands and top socialites and young social media stars, whose names solely bring success. Not to mention the celebrity-turned-influencer beauty deals such as KKW Beauty and Kylie Cosmetics or Rihanna’s explosive Fenty Beauty launch. The line between who’s an influencer and who’s just a celebrity is beginning to blur.
Cross-branding strategies
This marketing strategy includes two different brands which pair up for a double win by combining strengths with one goal-reaching new markets. Co-branding in fashion, or cross-branding, is a way of building the business in the fashion industry. The trick here is to find a medium for audiences/consumers of both brands. Something both brands have in common so they can both benefit from such a partnership.
However, teaming up with someone is only effective when done right. Collaborations that don’t look genuine may fall flat. And that is why it is important for brands to choose carefully their partners. Also, co-branding isn’t limited to fashion and makeup brands only, and we frequently see two completely different branches combined. These are partnerships between fashion and gadget brands, sportswear, cosmetic brands, beverage brands, fast fashion and many more. Options are limitless.
A great example is a current partnership between Disney, Luminess Cosmetics, and makeup artist Sir John.
When Makeup artists & Influencers team up with Beauty Brands
Today, there is no better way to advertise a beauty product than through association with makeup artists or influencers. Makeup brands need makeup artists who are bold enough to draw attention to their product. Whether it’s makeup brushes or eyeshadow, a good makeup artist knows how to highlight each product. In return, such collaboration earns makeup artist a higher rating and promotes their name.
Influencers have the same power, and they stand side by side with makeup artists when it comes to popularizing a product. Cosmetic brands can benefit a lot from working with them, as they know precisely how to present a new product in a creative and eye-catching way. One of the latest such collaborations are Desi Perkins x Benefit Cosmetics, Alissa Ashley with NYX Cosmetics, Camila Coehlo with Lancome, Nikkie de Jager (aka NikkieTutorials) with Ofra, Jaclyn Hill with Morphe, Jackie Aina with Too Faced, Huda Kattan’s Huda Beauty’s Nudes Palette, and the Dominique Cosmetics Berries & Cream Palette by Christen Dominique.
Models and photographers
Photographers always had a great spot in the fashion and makeup world. And creative collaborations are part of their everyday job. They collaborate with models, makeup artists, brands, hairstylists, wardrobe stylists, designers, creative directors, other photographers. They are used to certain dynamics that creative collaborations carry. But of course, models and photographers collaborations are a natural match. The artist behind the lenses knows how to accentuate all the best features a model has and how to visualize a concept. And models are their muses. One of the great examples of a years-long collaboration between a photographer and a model is the one between Kate Moss and Mario Testino.
Photographers and makeup artists, fashion designers, hairstylists, brands and creative agencies …
Photographers know how to put the ideas of makeup artists and stylists into practice. This is why it is so vital for them to collaborate with photographers who share their aesthetic sensibility. This is especially important for young artists who are just climbing their way up to the top. Because they have to build a representative image, and the right photographer can help them immensely.
We are all pretty visual, and when we buy products online, we exclusively go for those items that look good on the picture. Or in other words – how products look matters. Collections may radiate brilliance, but it is photographers who make the difference in how buyers see it all. Because, in the end, it is effective, eye-catching photos that sell. So collaborations between brands and photographers are crucial in the beauty and fashion world.
The possibilities of collaborations in all fashion and beauty branches do not end here. But it is these significant associations that make the base for developing more ideas. And this trend may help you in your career if you feel stuck creatively. The process is a healthy way of promoting your creativity and the results can bring you double exposure. Reach out to other people, brands, creatives, and make something new together.
“Creativity is contagious, pass it on” – Albert Einstein
