Kleenex + Fashion: Has the Designer Collaboration Gone Too Far?

Fashion collaborations used to be something we looked forward to; now, they’re starting to feel like a never-ending (and increasingly confusing) game of Whack-a-Mole. Once one ends, another pops up. Just yesterday, Betsey Johnson, who has previously linked with Urban Outfitters, Opening Ceremony, and OPI, announced yet another partnership. This time, with Kleenex.

Wait, what?

According to the press release, the collection—dubbed “ready to care,” get it?—will include “a mix of bold, eye-catching designs, [that] transform a multi-functional product into a must-have statement piece that excites the creative side in all of us, inspiring new uses for the product and packaging.” So: tissue boxes. With patterns. “I can’t wait for everyone to get their hands on this rockin’ line,“ said Johnson. Yes, she’s still talking about tissues here.

And earlier this week, Bud Light announced their collaboration with Gypsy Bikini. The latter brand’s claim to fame is that Kim Kardashian wears one of their suits on the cover of her forthcoming book, Selfish (not that that explains why they’ve teamed up with beer). While these collaborations make little sense to us, they’re only the latest in a long line of surprising (and ridiculous) fashion collaborations. Here, a look back at the wackiest—from diapers to kitchen sponges.