Lily Allen, Kate Moss, Kylie, Madonna, Kelly Brook, Stella McCartney, Roland Mouret, Celia Birtwell, Viktor & Rolf, Georgina Goodman, Giles Deacon...what do they all have in common? They've all teamed up with affordable names to bring us high street collaborations; capsule collections at real people prices. These big-name partnerships have been so successful it's pretty clear there'll be plenty more soon. So we decided to have a think about the collections the CQ team dream of. Here are the top ten celeb / designer collections we'd like to see....
10. Beth Ditto for Evans
Since Topshop don't seem to be taking the hint and grabbing the plus-sized star to design a collection for them, why shouldn't The Gossip's lead singer try her luck with Arcadia's 14+ fashion haunt? They've already snagged shoe supremo Georgina Goodman to create a collection for them. Surely a celebrity isn't far behind?
9. Christian Louboutin for Clarks
Ok, so it's unlikely to happen, but I have dreams of teaming the king of the sexy stiletto with the shoe shop that is now the place to go for the best (and comfiest) sandals in the world. Clarks may have a reputation for being a bit of a 'mom' shop, but they've come on in leaps and bounds over the past couple of years, and they always get my vote for making shoes in half sizes. Teaming up with a shoe maestro like Louboutin would just be the icing on the cake. Imagine a Louboutin shoe with a high street price tag. Now Imagine the queues...
8. Jarvis Cocker for Oxfam
Kate Moss's Topshop collection was all about taking items she'd worn in the past and remaking new versions of them for the masses. Imagine doing that with Jarvis' charity shop chic wardrobe. Oxfam may be best known for flogging cast-offs, but they also sell new items. A range from the king of geek chic would definitely fly off the shelves and into the wardrobes of art students, Shiny Media employees and music fans alike.
7. Gareth Pugh for Next
I've never understood the appeal of Next. Why do people queue up at 5am for the sales? Though they are reliable for clothes that wash and wear well and the odd pretty dress, you'd never catch me standing in line to buy anything from there. In fact, I can't remember the last time I went in (I think it was with my mother). What Next needs is a big dose of 'Fashion, Darling', and who better to bring it to them than the experimental, outlandish Gareth Pugh. I'm seeing PVC, gimp masks and lots and lots of black! Those middle class mums will lap it up.
6. Zooey Deschanel for Oasis
I'll admit this one is completely selfish, teaming one of my current fashion inspirations with one of my favourite high street haunts. Zooey is known for her girly, quirky look and her love of dresses. Oasis make reliably feminine and wearable versions of trends, using lots of silk and jersey. What's not to love about that partnership? I'd expect lots of embellished shifts and tea dresses, a range of good quality tights, and fun hair accessories like alice bands, flowers and sparkly clips.
5. Susie Bubble for Uniqlo
Ok, so she's not a designer, but she is a bit of a celeb in the land of fashion blogs. Our pal Susie is definitely an inspiration when it comes to showing off some serious fashion guts, and her love of Uniqlo is well-documented on her blog. I'd love to see what would happen if they let her get her hands dirty in the design department, creating a collection of fashion-forward pieces for experimental types.
4. Kirsten Dunst for H&M
Kirsten's look is young, inventive and a bit of a mess...just like H&M. What better partnership could there be? I'd expect this range to include lots of slip and shift dresses, ballet flats, worn-in denim pieces, high-necked tops, knitted hats and gauzy shirts. And of course her new beau Johnny Borrell would have to be drafted in for a menswear range too. Cowboy boots, anyone?
3. 'Ugly Betty' for Peacocks
Hands up who looks at the things America Ferrera wears in Ugly Betty and thinks 'hmm, that's not baaaaad'? Take away a few of the layers and the printed thrift shop dresses and chunky knits that Betty wears have a real vintage charm about them. We had a tough job picking a shop that could do the look justice, so in the end we went for something that - like Betty - is on the fringes of style but not quite there. Peacocks deliver some amazing stuff every now and then, but a lot is tat. Much like Betty's wardrobe, then!
2. Dita Von Teese for Marks and Spencer (lingerie dept)
Some of our choices are obviously tongue-in-cheek, but this one could really work. M&S lingerie is reliably pretty, hard-wearing and well made, and Dita is famous for cavorting in her undies. Imagine a sexy burlesque-inspired lingerie range from M&S with Dita's seal of approval. What could be better? From reproduction fully fashioned stockings to bullet bras and suspender belts, the collection would pay homage to the '30s, '40s and '50s.
1. Marc Jacobs for Primark
The idea of teaming one of the most popular designers in the world with the cheapest fast fashion retailer in the country is just too much of a dream concept. The accessories alone would be enough for me to camp out for as long as it would take to be front of line on launch day. I'd expect the line to be reminiscent of the Marc by Marc Jacobs line; young and funky, combining girlie looks with a bit of grunge and lots of layering. And there'd be lots of Mary-Janes, tote bags and bow embellishments. *sigh*
[images: Getty]
