Tasty collabs: The unlikely brands teaming up to set social media alight

Iconic New York shoe designer Steve Madden is worn by some of Hollywood’s biggest names including Sydney Sweeney, Dakota Johnson and Katy Perry, and now, in a global first, has partnered with a Melbourne winery to release a limited-edition pinot gris all in the name of a new fashion retail experience.

Retail collaborations are key when it comes to engaging consumers in 2025; and who doesn’t love a limited-edition product that’s sure to set social media alight with subtle envy?

Steve Madden’s decision to partner with Australia’s fashion capital city is no afterthought; and the footwear giant has found its match on Flinders Lane in Melbourne.

Retail and hospitality brands are teaming up to maximise brand exposure. Picture: Melbourne Winery

The team at Melbourne Winery, which opened in May this year, jumped at the opportunity to work with Steve Madden – crafting a wine that salutes this special partnership.

They’ve sourced pinot gris grapes from the Bellarine Peninsula in a nod to keeping it local, and limited the supply to 1000 bottles. Each bottle is adorned with a silver ‘heel’ charm and retails for $47.

“The goal is to make sales as a brand, but customers expect more than the sale of a product these days, they want an experience,” said Jamie Kouktzelas, marketing manager of Steve Madden Australia.

Shoe brand Steve Madden has teamed up with Melbourne Winery in a strategic collaboration. Picture: Supplied

“Just like the right shoe can change your outfit, the right wine can change the energy of the moment. The pairing of the two felt unexpected and obvious at the same time,” she said.

“And it isn’t just about footwear for us, this collaboration is about being part of a customer’s lifestyle in a more natural way,” she added.

“We’re about creating new ways for fashion to connect with people’s everyday passions and aspirations,” said Ms Kouktzelas.

There are eight standalone Steve Madden stores around Australia, with 16 concessions available in Myer.

“The plan is to expand aggressively,” Ms Kouktzelas said of what’s in store for 2026 and beyond.

You can expect a brand relaunch in October/November this year, and alignment with local musicians and other cool cultural leaders to help spread their retail message.

Steve Madden is teaming up with local musicians and other cultural leaders in an upcoming brand relaunch. Picture: Supplied

According to marketing manager of Melbourne Winery Ruby Boyes, a pinot gris felt like the best representation of this new partnership.

“It’s crisp, confident and refreshingly unconventional, just like the Steve Madden consumer. We wanted to create a wine that embodies freedom, flair and a sense of bold self-expression,” said Ruby Boyes.

Fashion Retail and Hospitality Collaborations Take Over Melbourne

In 2024, Mecca Cosmetics created Café Diptyque on Hardware Lane, Melbourne to recreate a Parisian café moment with a scented candle range sold alongside macarons and other French pastries.

It was an ode to a Parisian way of life, while consumers explored a limited-edition trio of gourmet candles inspired by the famous Café Verlet.

Cosmetics retailer MECCA created a pop-up cafe, Café Diptyque, in collaboration with French fragrance house Diptyque. Picture: Facebook MECCA

The pop-up was inspired by the limited-edition candles and the Café Verlet experience. Picture: Facebook MECCA

Last week, made-to-measure Australian menswear label Belancē opened its first Melbourne showroom on Level 2, 387 Little Bourke Street. They teamed with premium spirit house 1800 Tequila Cristalino to amplify their retail message with a bespoke cocktail for customers.

The cocktail dubbed ‘Made to Measure’ was created in collaboration with restaurant Maison Bâtard, where the drink is also on offer for the month of September. It’s these subtle segues that are designed to start conversations and encourage people to sip, spend and rejoice in refined retail moments for a point of difference.

Creative director and co-founder of Belancē, Oscar Leal, co-created the bespoke signature cocktail with Maison Bâtard to reflect the aesthetic of a tailored suit into the language of mixology. The drink itself is inspired by the refined depth of 1800 Cristalino.

Belancē creative director and co-founder, Oscar Leal. Picture: Supplied

On the night, guests at were also treated to a new premium tequila 1800 Milenio – which is available at Dan Murphy’s from October.

Belancē recently tested the retail waters in Melbourne with a three-month pop-up which closed recently, and has now led to a permanent space in the CBD.

According to Mr Leal – who moved from Colombia to Australia as a teenager, says his design ethos has long drawn from his transnational life and appreciation of artisanal heritage. It’s all about creating a curated moment for clients that makes them feel special.

Belancē is all about elegant minimalism and chic tailoring; they’re proof that aligning with hospitality cool and a premium tequila brand is a mighty fine way to reinvent the retail wheel.