Even established, conglomerate-backed fashion labels need a breath of fresh air, and more and more fashion companies are partnering with foreign figures to revamp their lineups and draw public attention for higher sales.

Invite celebrities, star stylists

American hip-hop artist Kanye West proved that he was more than just a musician when his footwear collaboration with Adidas became a mega success in faraway Seoul.

Fashion and hip-hop enthusiasts queued in front of Adidas stores a couple of days before the sales started. The “Yeezy Boost” series sold out within hours in Korea on each of the three occasions it has been released. West also conducted a fashion collaboration with Adidas in New York last year. 

Japanese casual fashion brand Uniqlo has long been a master of collaboration with celebrities or star designers.

T-shirts featuring artworks of hip hop mogul Pharrell Williams gained huge popularity among fashion enthusiasts. The recent link-up with French designer Christophe Lemaire drew 1,000 people to queue in front of major Uniqlo stores across the country on Friday, with several items sold out within 5 minutes. The fashion house is planning another collaboration with star stylist Carine Roitfeld in the end of October.

Go with improbability

Ever since they appeared on mobile messenger Kakao Talk, the perky peach Apeach, sassy cat Neo, little alligator and jolly rabbit Muzi & Con as well as sentimental dog Frodo have kept people wanting to know more.

And Samsung C&T’s casual fashion brand Bean Pole Accessory released purses, wallets and money clips using these Kakao Talk emoticon characters. The vivid characters are printed on signature purses modeled by K-pop artist Suzy, and while the items are not necessarily cheap – purses are priced around 500,000 won-- they received a warm response in the market. 

“The Kakao Talk characters are very powerful. They are relatable with everyone and people reflect their emotions with them,” a Samsung C&T official said, explaining the reasons to the unusual collaboration. “We thought this was a great way to engage with 20-30-somethings who are very trend-savvy and opinionated,” he added.

The fashion brand has reportedly been inspired by the success of U.S. fashion house Coach’s collaboration with Snoopy and British designer Anya Hindmarch’s use of Kellogg brand logos on the purses as well as domestic brand BEAKER’s partnership with Play No More, which all marked instant success with the unlikely marriage between rather demure brands and pop culture.

“Cartoon characters are not only for kids these days. Those who still keep a bit of childishness inside their hearts – many of them are affluent with a professional job -- tend to like these items and fashion companies are embracing such breed,” a fashion marketer told The Korea Herald.

“Fashion is always about searching for something new, and collaborating with people outside your comfort zones is always refreshing. Creating a buzz is a great marketing effect, too,” she added. 

By Bae Ji-sook  (baejisooK@heraldcorp.com)