How Tocco Toscano Turns Unexpected Partnerships into Growth

In today’s hyper-competitive retail landscape, fleeting trends and short-term campaigns are no longer enough. Smart brands are pushing beyond the expected, seeking partnerships that don’t just grab attention — but reshape perceptions, unlock new audiences, and drive lasting business growth.

One brand doing exactly that is Singaporean heritage label Tocco Toscano. Known for its sleek leather craftsmanship, the brand has defied industry norms by teaming up with unexpected partners — from Singapore Airlines and Hello Kitty to Chupa Chups and BYD — creating product collections that surprise, spark conversation, and sell.

The payoff? Collaborations that break through the noise, extend reach into untapped customer segments, and build campaigns that go viral while strengthening long-term brand equity.

In this exclusive interview, the Tocco Toscano team shares the strategic thinking behind these unconventional collaborations, the creative lessons learned from crossing industries, and how retailers can rethink partnerships to future-proof growth. If you’re looking for fresh ways to stand out, scale your audience, and craft campaigns that last well beyond the initial hype — this is a must-watch (and read)!

You mentioned collaborations with non-fashion brands such as Singapore Airlines and Hello Kitty. Can you tell us why they were so effective and impactful to your audience? And why they worked?

Our collaborations with non-fashion brands like Singapore Airlines and Hello Kitty were effective because they were unexpected, sparking curiosity and excitement. This uniqueness captures attention in a way that conventional partnerships often don’t. By pairing with brands outside our industry, we tapped into new audiences that are typically siloed by social media algorithms. For instance, our Singapore Airlines collaboration resonated with business travelers, introducing Tocco Toscano to a professional demographic, while Hello Kitty appealed to younger female customers who love playful, cartoon-inspired aesthetics. Post-collaboration data showed a significant increase in engagement from the 24-35 age group. These partnerships worked because they blended our brand’s sophistication with the distinct identities of our partners, creating products that felt fresh, authentic, and appealing to diverse audiences.

Give us 3 key lessons you’ve learnt from thinking beyond traditional collaborations and working on unconventional brand partnerships.

Creativity Unlocks Possibilities: Unconventional partnerships, like those with BYD or Chupa Chups, require bold imagination. It takes time to design something that authentically reflects both brands, but with creativity, even the most unlikely pairings can yield standout results.

Avoid the Obvious: When working with a brand like Hello Kitty, we steered away from overly cute designs. Instead of a predictable logo-heavy bag, we incorporated their iconic bow into a minimalist monogram, balancing Tocco Toscano’s elegance with Hello Kitty’s essence for a refined yet playful product.

Don’t Force the Fit: A successful collaboration needs a unique concept that feels organic. If the idea isn’t clicking, it’s better to nurture the relationship and refine the design than to rush into something generic. Commit only when you’re confident the partnership will resonate with both audiences.

Can you share a concrete example of a challenging product development story?

The TOS x SIA was challenging in terms of product development. 

• Firstly, we had to figure out how to create products from "significant and usable" portions of the lifevest (areas with printed symbols and logos) and size them accordingly because the lifevest as a material comes in an irregular shape and combine them with upcycled apple leather
• Secondly, we had to test to see if we could work with this material in terms of stitching, gluing etc - Thirdly, we had to sort out the clean surfaces of each lifevest to figure out which were usable
• Then we were unsure of whether we could ship bulk quantities of material into our production facility in China (we typically ship out of China). We ended up shipping small quantities at a time in case any of the shipments got stuck at Chinese customs
• The seat belt buckles were generally scratched and dirty. To solve this issue we had to clean each buckle and figured that we could use a car spray paint service to "clean up" the scratched surfaces

Hear from The Tocco Toscano Team:

Crispin Francis

Country Manager, Thailand

Joseph Lor

CEO

They'll be diving into key topics such as cross-border expansion opportunities and unconventional retail partnerships during eTail Asia 2025. Want to know how you can build a strong customer fanbase and witness soaring ROIs in your partnership campaigns? Click in to learn from them and find out how you can achieve surprising successes for your brand!