Collaborations were a way for denim brands to inject newness into their seasonal collections in 2024.
Partnerships with celebrities continued to be a popular way to generate buzz and to tap into fandoms.
In the fall, Scotch & Soda expanded its partnership with singer, songwriter and actor Joe Jonas. Named a brand ambassador in 2023, Jonas co-designed the men’s assortment of twill workwear, paneled jeans, printed soccer jerseys and more. Jonas utilized his personal diary of photography as a starting point to his creative process, pulling inspiration from his vintage-inspired aesthetic to customized artwork recreated to represent his affinity for coffee and characteristic artistic expression.
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Diesel debuted its collection co-designed by its first global brand ambassador, Damiano David. The capsule combined Diesel creative director Glenn Martens’ signatures silhouettes and material innovation with the rock star’s personal style including prints and patchworks of the his tattoos.
Wrangler dropped its long-awaited collection with country music star Lainey Wilson. Spanning 40 women’s pieces and 10 children’s pieces, the designs were a tribute to the Grammy Award winner’s vintage-inspired aesthetic, signature curve-hugging silhouettes and Louisianan roots. Personal details included graphic tees with the Wilson’s family farm name and the number nine—the age she wrote her first song.
Music was a motivator for Levi’s as well. In addition to its ad campaign with Beyonce, the brand bowed the Levi’s Band Tee Collection, a line that of graphic tees featuring nostalgic artists including Oasis, New Order and Joy Division.
A series of designer collaborations revealed a new creative side of G-Star Raw.
In May, the Dutch workwear-inspired brand released Denim Drags, a collaboration with The Nightmare Disorder (TND), an Amsterdam-based costume design studio founded by Benji Nijenhuis and Nemo Cheminée. G-Star teamed with TND to make custom outfits for drag stars Shea Couleé, Envy Peru and Hungry, showcasing intricate details and constructions can be applied to denim.
In June, G-Star linked with Belgian designer Walter Van Beirendonck for a collection that challenges the norms of garment construction. Instead of sewing, Van Beirendonck chose to glue, tape and press the 19-piece collection of made with certified Cradle-to-Cradle denim.
G-Star teamed with Facetasm in the fall for a capsule collection that merged streetwear with traditional Japanese tailoring. In October, the brand focused on creating wearable art in partnership with the Rembrandt House Museum in Amsterdam by replicating the Dutch Master’s etching technique on denim with laser technology. By December, G-Star was rolling out haute couture denim gloves by glovemaker to the stars Thomasine Barnekow.
Collections with other brands also opened the door to new aesthetics and consumers.
Hudson and Rivet Utility united for a collection of women’s and men’s denim jumpsuits. The collection combined Hudson’s expertise in denim with Rivet Utility’s signature single-zip silhouette.
Diesel and Savage x Fenty highlighted brands’ shared appreciation for “inclusivity and unapologetic self-love.” In October, the body- and sex-positive brands launched a limited-edition lingerie and apparel capsule spanning bustiers, string bikinis, thigh-high stockings, teddys, underwear, bras, briefs, tanks and shorts. Diesel’s unique approach to prints and textiles were on full display in the collection with pieces featuring trompe l’oeil denim and foil prints in Diesel’s signature shade of red.
True Religion launched its second capsule collection with Playboy. Spanning men’s and women’s styles, the collection combined Playboy’s instantly recognizable Rabbit Head logo and True Religion’s distinctive Big T stitch across a variety of styles.
Frame checked back into The Ritz for a fourth collaboration with the famed Parisian hotel. The brands launched the 35-piece collection at pop-ups in the Mall of Emirates, Bloomingdale’s Dubai, Galeries Lafayette, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman and Printemps. Meanwhile, Spanish lifestyle brand Late Checkout rolled out a collaboration with The Ritz Carlton featuring the luxury hotel’s iconic lion and crest.
Gap and Cult Gaia released a sought-after collection of women’s denim, knits, dresses and outerwear. Chain details and gold trims added a jewelry-like quality to the denim pieces. Mark Breitbard, president and CEO of Gap brand, described the line as a “beautiful reimagining of Gap icons with a partner who shares our obsession to product detail.”
Billy Reid and Citizens of Humanity expanded its partnership to include women’s jeans in 2024. The line included the Paloma, a baggy jean that references silhouettes from the early 2000s, and the Isola Cropped Boot, a mid-rise jean with a close fit through the leg and slight bootcut flare. The brands linked up the previous year for men’s.
Lee’s collaboration with Alpha Industries brought together the brands’ roots in U.S. workwear—literally. Reversible nylon and denim versions of Alpha’s renowned MA-1 Bomber Jacket and Lee’s 60-year-old Lee Rider denim jacket anchored the collection, which also featured military-inspired pants, snow pants and tees.
Lee’s sister brand Wrangler kept a good thing going by releasing two more collections with Staud for Spring and Fall 2024. The heritage cowboy brand and women’s lifestyle label combined codes in a spring assortment of knit tops, Bermuda shorts and denim shirt dresses. Earthy colors and cozy outerwear were part of the fall range, including a shearling version of the Biggest Jean Jacket, an oversized jacket that has been a fan favorite since the first Wrangler x Staud collection in 2023.
Likewise, Levi’s and ERL released their second collaboration. Inspired by Venice Beach’s surf and skate culture, the co-branded line offered bootcut jeans, a vest, overalls, dress and a purse with a sun-faded look. The brand also dropped a second collab with Montreal-based design studio JJJJound, this time centered on three dark washes.
Denim brands also crossed into new product categories through collaborations.
Lee’s partnership with Swedish rainwear brand Stutterheim had denim heads wishing for rainy days. Offered in an array of denim-inspired hues, the collection combined Lee’s signature styles like the Storm Rider with Stutterheim’s waterproof materials.
Lee also bowed collaborations with Crocs-owned Hey Dude, bringing railroad denim stripe to casual footwear styles, and Oliver Cabell, offering premium leather and denim kicks. The tie-ups foreshadowed bigger footwear plans for Lee, including a men’s shoe collection set to launch in 2025.
Wrangler landed on consumers’ feet as well. In November, the heritage denim brand launched a limited-edition collection with Happy Socks. Designs played into Wrangler’s Western heritage with styles featuring cowboy and desert motifs like cacti, cowboy hats and stars.
