I am less critical of the collabs. Basically, sought-after brands offer easy-to-get slots for standardized products.
It´s a bit like Thurston-Bros.: Yes, you can get a stock Vanson, but you can´t specc. the details.
That´s why the Carl-collab doesn´t sit well with me. I am with @Marc mndt: why do a collab and then offer customization?
That must be a slap in the face of clients queueing for a year or so.
Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't Thrston Bros a distributor? At least they are the ons who distribute Thedi in the US?
And then you have some makers that do OEM work for better known brands, that is another concept.
But just tacking on the name of a random reviewer?