Best of ’06: Designer Collaboration Lines

2006 was the year in which high-profile designer collaborations replaced celebrity clothing lines as the hot new fashion endeavor. Everyone from Nine West to Kohl’s jumped on the bandwagon, each snagging a specific designer to rake in the dough. The results? At times, disastrous – think Viktor & Rolf for H & M – and at other times, brilliant (read below).

So, here are the best of the best. First up is Tara Subkoff‘s line of footwear for Easy Spirits. Leave it to Subkoff to make orthopedic, nursing-home family footwear so friggin’ cool. Next is Nicolas Andreas Taralis for Uniqlo UK, which featured easy, sporty designs, including an open-shoulder parka and a balloon skirt. Last up is Alexander McQueen’s union with Samsonite. Frankly, this rib-cage luggage is brilliance defined. Only McQueen would attempt to air-bound non-living human anatomy without papers.