Ahead of the Vogue Vintage Sale on 29 March, co-hosted by Jorja Smith and Iris Law and presented by eBay, Vogue is celebrating all things pre-loved. Not all vintage treasures are rare designer pieces loaded with fashion lore: from a perfectly worn leather jacket uncovered in a thrift store to a slogan tee sourced online, pre-loved items can (and should) be a key player in every modern wardrobe.
The year was 2016. Drake’s “One Dance” was inescapable, an all-female Ghostbusters remake divided the internet and I was spending my student loan on American Apparel tennis skirts and the Kenzo X H&M collection. Specifically: a pair of wool-blend, tiger-print flares in electric pink and blue, plus a matching turtleneck minidress. It was far from a subtle look and I can’t say it’s one I’d wear today – but at the time, high-street designer collaborations were the moment and I was buying whatever bloggers like Susie Bubble and Bebe Zeva were wearing.
That Kenzo purchase set me on a path of chasing down the latest high-street collabs. More than anything, I wanted the Simone Rocha X H&M pastel-pink dress and neoprene bag – I still have a few in my Depop likes today. These collections made designer fashion feel within reach. You could own something with a “label” for less than £50 and be in with the cool kids without the designer price tag. As stylist Olivia Catchpole puts it: “Some of the most successful style influencers of the 2000s and 2010s combined high-street affordability with the key designer buys of the time and so when collaborations with major superbrands hit the high street, it was a perfect opportunity for millennials to get their hands on some Versace printed silk or a bit of Marant French-girl cool.”
However, as the years passed, the hype around these collaborations faded and the resale economy – Vestiaire Collective, eBay, Depop – replaced the need for high-street imitations. Why buy a Jeremy Scott-style jacket when you can lose sleep over an eBay bidding war for the real thing?
Still, brand partnerships are everywhere – albeit in a different form. “Today has almost made collaborations necessary for designers to survive; look at the latest fashion week season in London, for example, during which young talents Chet Lo and Johanna Parv unveiled collections with Pull&Bear,” Catchpole continues. But in the early 2000s, a designer lending their name to a Topshop dress or a Uniqlo T-shirt actually gave something gravitas. “This was probably the first time we saw designers producing at a price point everyday people could afford,” says cultural critic Biz Sherbert. “These collections were sold in places where people wouldn’t usually have access to luxury fashion. I think it also came off the rise of fast fashion in the ’90s, which made these kinds of partnerships possible.”
Beyond affordability, the 2000s were defined by a different kind of celebrity obsession. Paparazzi culture was at its peak and knowing what Paris Hilton or Britney Spears was wearing was practically a social currency. “People were more aware of designers because they were more into status signalling and logomania,” Biz adds. Today’s fashion is a melting pot of TikTok micro-trends that self-destruct before you can get your teeth into them, but back then, wearing a hyped-up designer collab was a way to prove you knew what was up.
Some collaborations sparked absolute hysteria and many are still revered by anyone with an interest in archival pulls. Whether it was Karl Lagerfeld for H&M or Kate Moss for Topshop, crowds lined up overnight, teenagers cried, and resale listings appeared within hours, often at double the retail price. The hype was real, but a few collections truly defined the era. Below, see our pick of the best.
Karl Lagerfeld X H&M (2004)
The launch that started it all. Lagerfeld’s monochrome tailoring and sleek silhouettes were suddenly accessible to all, even those who could only dream of being within a whisker of Madame Choupette.
Kate Moss X Topshop (2007)
The OG and still very much coveted. This collection blurred the lines between celebrity merch and actual high fashion, making us think we could all be It-girls, if only for the lifespan of a butter-yellow off-the-shoulder dress.
Christopher Kane X Topshop (2009)
In the words of Kendall Jenner, “It was the vibe at the time.” Christopher Kane’s studded leather dresses, neon bodycon pieces and alligator prints are still Vogue editor favourites today.
Maison Martin Margiela X H&M (2012)
The elusive Belgian design brought his conceptual designs to the H&M masses. Think oversized outerwear and deconstructed tailoring at pocket money prices.
Marni X H&M (2012)
Marni brought Italian mod style and quirky prints to H&M, giving queues of dedicated fans a chance to own the brand’s playful aesthetic without facing financial ruin. La Dolce Vita indeed.
