Collab Culture: This Week’s Celebrity and Influencer Partnerships, Ranked
From lip gloss to recovery drinks, here’s what’s worth the hype—and what left me scratching my head.
Is it just me, or did this past week bring a flurry of influencer and celebrity brand launches? My algorithm might be feeding my obsession, but I couldn’t resist diving into the frenzy. You know I’m never shy about sharing my thoughts, so here’s a quick roundup with some first impressions. Want me to go deeper? Drop me a comment—I love a good collab critique.
Alex Cooper's Unwell Recovery Drink with Nestlé
Let’s start with Alex Cooper, who teamed up with Nestlé for the Unwell Recovery Drink. My first question: How many millions did Nestlé guarantee Cooper for this license? And can they realistically “recover” that investment?
I’m no beverage market expert, but I came across an interesting angle: very few female brand owners exist in this space, so this collab is a big win on that front. The branding is undeniably fun—maybe a little too fun. To me, it feels campy and unserious, but hey, I don’t drink, so I’m not the target demo. My guess is everyone will try it once, but will they buy it again?
Matilda Djerf X Rhode Peppermint Lip Peptide
Two years to make a holiday peppermint lip gloss? Really?
I love Matilda Djerf (and her brand Djerf Avenue) and Hailey Bieber’s Rhode, but this collab puzzles me. A sparkly peppermint lip peptide for the holidays sounds groundbreaking, I know. Why did Rhode need Matilda’s stamp of approval? And what took two years?
A Djerf Avenue x Rhode holiday gift set—a robe, PJ set with a chic matching Rhode phone case to hold the peppermint lip peptide—would have been more exciting. What do you think? Am I missing the point?
Amazon Essentials X Sofia Grainge
Amazon is chasing chic moms with this collab, elevating its baby line to Zara-adjacent, European-inspired levels. When I first saw the teaser, I mocked it. But after seeing the full line, I have to admit—it’s Bonpoint-inspired and adorable.
That said, Sofia Grainge as a designer is a stretch. I’d love to see Amazon partner with brands like Love Every or Rylee & Cru—or add a charitable component to the next celebrity tie-in to make it seem like less of a cash grab.
Bekah X Doublesoul
Bekah (yes, from The Bachelor a million seasons ago) is breaking into the micro-influencer collab world with sustainable brand Doublesoul. The socks are cute and feature prints Bekah has used in other partnerships.
Bekah’s niche as an Orange County “hippie” mom with a design background makes this collab interesting. She’s thrifty, sustainable, and fun to watch. While this one won’t make waves, it’s refreshing in its authenticity.
Warby Parker X Emma Chamberlain
I’ll always root for Emma Chamberlain because she stands out. (In today’s influencer world, that’s saying a lot.) I’ve been waiting to see her expand beyond Chamberlain Coffee, and this Warby Parker collab is a fun move.
I tried the glasses in the NYC store and loved two styles, but the in-store presentation was...meh. On Black Friday, I visited another store (Boston), and they didn’t even carry the collab. Online? Also a bust.
It feels underwhelming, which is a shame because Emma deserves more.
In other news, the Kardashians are still releasing kollabs. Maybe more on that later…
Let me know which of these collabs you’re loving—or if you’ve spotted one I missed! Until next time…