creative Collaborations
Over the past 30 years, Karl Donoghue has created strong relationships across the world. We have had the privilege to collaborate with many talented individuals, brands and retailers, spanning a wide range of product categories resulting in new and exciting designs.
These collaborations have played an important part in shaping our brand, creating exceptional designs that reflect the spirit of our collective efforts.
Explore some of the creative collaborations below.
JOINING FORCES TO REDUCE WASTE
Under the principles “Joining Forces to Reduce Waste”, we engaged with respected Japanese hat maker, KIJIMA TAKAYUKI after a visit to their showroom and atelier in Tokyo.
Using KARL DONOGHUE archive skins, showcasing our commitment to a more sustainable design and manufacturing practise, the collaboration resulted in a range of unisex hats, styled in luxurious materials, crafted by artisans and worn by you.
SHOWCASING HERITAGE
Morgan, a British heritage brand renowned for exclusive automobile design, collaborated with the iconic Selfridges store to create a limited-edition product celebrating innovation and sustainability. The collaboration marks the launch of Morgan's all-electric, zero-emissions EV3 car.
Karl Donoghue was invited to create a bespoke pair of driving hats, blending vintage racing helmet influences with contemporary materials and finishes. Karl’s design approach and handcrafted products reflect Morgan's quality and sustainability values.
The "His" and "Hers" hats feature a clean, slick black palette with small hints to the iconic yellow Selfridges colour. It plays with textural variations, including a buffalo horn buckle and quilted panelling mirroring the EV3's interior. Distinctive male and female designs utilise materials including cashmere shearling, vegetable-tanned hide and lamb nappa. The hat set is presented in a goatskin leather, handmade box with unique product serial number.
The collaborative project is a demonstration of extreme engineering and function meeting the fashionable and aesthetic needs of a luxury driving experience. The marrying of international design teams across the automotive and fashion industry has created a futuristic vision of a classical pastime.
ELEGANT ENGINEERING
To celebrate two decades since launching the brand, Karl collaborated with Japanese handbag designer, Albus. The collection reimagines the classic Albus silhouettes with interchangeable shearling parts and buffalo horn hardware, Karl Donoghue’s signature trims.
The collaboration remained true to the impeccable engineering skills of Albus while creating a new softer touch to this range.
UNION MAGAZINE “Fine Things Are Timeless”
Through an introduction at the labels Tokyo showroom, Karl Donoghue had the pleasure of meeting with Mr. Hiroyuki Kubo, editor-in-chief of creative hardback fashion magazine, UNION. After exchanging ideas and perspectives on storytelling through visual concepts, they quickly realised that they shared many common values when it came to art and design.
Mr. Kubo felt inspired by the collaborative opportunity and was eager to shoot a range of styles from the Karl Donoghue collection. The collaboration of creating a beautiful aesthetic together was under the concept, “Fine Things Are Timeless”. This approach to the photoshoot should create images which remain aesthetically pleasing and relevant after many years to come and continue to fall in line with their combined audiences.
By bringing together Karl’s timeless designs and Mr. Kubo's editorial eye, the collaboration married form and function, ensuring that the images would not only showcase the product but also evoke a feeling of elegance and refinement.
MEETING JOSEPH
In spring 2000 the ready-to-wear buyer for Joseph fell in love with the Karl Donoghue shearling collection at London Fashion Week, however she believed the styles could conflict with Joseph’s already successful shearling range. After some consideration the AW2000 collection was bought for an autumn delivery. Within two weeks of the collection landing in the stores, all styles had sold out.
Joseph called Karl personally to express his amazement at the speed the styles had sold and invited the creative director to collaborate on future collections. This partnership lasted several years, even after the passing of the very talented and charismatic, Joseph.
INSPIRING TRAVELS
When the world reopened after the covid pandemic, the team were keen to visit Japan again and find inspiration. They travelled to Batsu, an area of Japan famous for producing some of the finest cloths in the world.
After discovering such beautiful fabrics, Karl was introduced to the Rawtus design team, based in Tokyo to collaborate on a range of Japanese wool outerwear styles integrating detachable shearling details.
With the expertise from two teams, the designs delivered on form, function and femininity allowing the wearer to attach or detach the shearling pockets and collars.
LANE CRAWFORD STORE OPENING
In 2013 the brand was asked to collaborate with London based designer, Fannie Schiavoni, to create three couture pieces for the store opening of Lane Crawford, Beijing.
Fannie creates intricate and bold body jewellery from chainmail. Karl combined this with quilted leather and ruffled shearling, resulting in three stunning pieces for the store window.