9 of Fashion's Most "WTF?" Collaborations (The Good, the Bad and the Hideous)

Over the years fashion, possibly more than any industry other than music, has produced some of the world's most talked about collaborations, though not always for the right reasons. 

With the rapid evolution of streetwear from being reserved for hip hop's elite to becoming de rigeur for basically everyone, collaborations have become an effective way for brands to target mass audiences without diluting their brand. Once looked down upon by fashion insiders, the high street is now the go-to for trend-led affordable pieces and high-end fashion brands have become quite savvy in developing mutually beneficial relationships. 

And it's worth noting that this doesn't always mean a collaboration between two fashion brands, collaborations with celebrities are a near-daily occurrence while some brands look elsewhere (e.g. home furnishings) to extend their reach. 

Some collabs result in sheer genius, others in disaster. I'm somewhat obsessed with the phenomenon so I decided to write about 9 of fashion's most WTF collaborations - or at least 9 of my favourites - the good, the bad and the hideous. Buckle up. 

4 Womenswear Designers Who Need To Start Designing Menswear- Stat!

It's blindingly obvious to say but it always needs to be said - compared to womenswear, menswear is invariably uninspired, not particularly innovative and let's face it, pretty fucking boring.

Fashion week is not solely to blame, nor are premium brands, if you've been in a high street store lately then you will have been overwhelmed by the plethora of options on offer to the fairer sex. Fashion forward separates to mix and match seamlessly into a wardrobe of classic staples, trend-led outfits inspired by (and perhaps direct copies of) fashion week looks, celebrity street style for a fraction of the price, all over a minimum of two floors. Meanwhile, us men settle for a depressing melange of dated graphic tees, ill fitting faux leather jackets and literally the same shoes that have been on sale for the past twenty years, all huddled onto one floor or perhaps a sad little corner of the kidswear floor (yes, I'm talking about you ZARA). Speaking of ZARA, can any of you dear readers help explain why their menswear is so seismically disjointed from their womenswear offering? Because I can't. I know plenty of girls who get gorgeous pieces from ZARA on a weekly basis while I struggle to find anything that doesn't make me look like an Italian barber with a sports car (not that there's anything wrong in that, it just isn't exactly the aesthetic I strive for).

I've recently Carrie Bradshaw-ly "got to thinking" about from who I would absolutely love to see a menswear offering. Brands and designers who not only show great tailoring prowess which could easily be transferred into menswear, but also a brand that has fun, brings innovation to the table and could offer something wholly new to the lacklustre world of menswear. And so here, in no particular order, are my ideal fantastic four.

Kenzo x H&M: FIRST LOOKS!

When Kenzo was confirmed as the most recent H&M designer collaboration, the twittersphere seemed more excitable than usual. While previous collaborations such as Versace, Karl Lagerfeld and last year's Balmain have been a sort of novelty for the brands from the upper realms of the fashion stratosphere to create high street clothing (emulating but of course never quite matching the aesthetic or quality of their own designs) this collab could be one to break the mould.