Rubik Combined Listings on Apparent Collective Themes: Madrid, Sydney, Berlin & More (2026)
Apparent Collective is a Malta-based theme studio with 24+ themes on the Shopify Theme Store. Every single one priced at $380. Every single one running OS 2.0. And here is the part that matters for stores selling the same product in 8 colors as separate listings: all seven of their flagship city-named themes run Rubik Combined Listings cleanly, without Shopify Plus, without code edits, without breaking any of their 104 CSS variables or 19 preset styles.
That last number is not a typo. Apparent Collective themes expose over a hundred CSS custom properties for merchants to tweak colors, fonts, spacing, and animation timing. Most theme studios give you 30 to 40. Rubik injects its swatches inside Shadow DOM isolation, so none of those 104 variables get overwritten or conflict with swatch styling. We tested this specifically because Apparent Collective themes are more customizable than average, and more customizable means more potential for CSS collisions. Zero collisions found.
This guide covers the seven major Apparent Collective themes (Madrid, Sydney, Berlin, Barcelona, Copenhagen, San Francisco, Monaco), where Rubik renders on each, which swatch style fits each theme’s design language, and how to get it running in under five minutes. Whether you picked Madrid for its fashion-forward layouts or Copenhagen for its Nordic minimalism, the setup process is identical.
In this guide
- About Apparent Collective
- Madrid + Rubik Combined Listings
- Sydney + Rubik Combined Listings
- Berlin + Rubik Combined Listings
- Barcelona + Rubik Combined Listings
- Copenhagen + Rubik Combined Listings
- San Francisco + Rubik Combined Listings
- Monaco + Rubik Combined Listings
- Per-theme comparison
- Setup walkthrough
- Pairing with Rubik Variant Images
- FAQ
About Apparent Collective
Apparent Collective operates out of Valletta, Malta. They build premium Shopify themes exclusively, and they have been remarkably consistent with one decision: every theme costs $380. No budget tier. No $150 starter option. Just one price point across the entire catalog. That kind of confidence (or stubbornness, depending on how you look at it) only works when the product actually delivers.
And it does. Their seven flagship themes carry ratings between 85% and 100% positive, with Madrid leading in review volume (48 reviews, 94%) and Monaco close behind (31 reviews, 97%). All seven share a common architecture: OS 2.0 app blocks, 5 presets per theme, EU translations baked in (English, French, Italian, German, Spanish), and a support team that claims 15-minute response times around the clock. We have dealt with their support while debugging theme compatibility, and they are genuinely fast.
Why does this matter for combined listings? Because Apparent Collective themes are heavily styled. Countdown timers, sticky carts, before/after sliders, mega menus, promotional popups, image hotspots. That is a lot of JavaScript and CSS running on the product page. Apps that inject swatches using bare DOM manipulation (no Shadow DOM) risk breaking any of those features. Rubik’s Shadow DOM approach means the swatch container is completely isolated from Apparent Collective’s styling system. The theme’s 104 CSS variables stay untouched. Rubik’s 19 swatch presets render independently.
Madrid + Rubik Combined Listings
Madrid is Apparent Collective’s most reviewed theme. $380, 48 reviews (94% positive), version 1.6.0 (April 2026). Ships with 5 presets: Madrid, Tote, Resort, Affair, and Furnish. Positioned for clothing retailers, though it works well for jewelry, accessories, and food stores too. The theme describes itself as “luxurious and functional, built to boost sales with visual storytelling,” and it actually lives up to that. Full-screen layouts, smooth scroll animations, premium typography choices.
Where Rubik Combined Listings renders on Madrid: Inside the variant picker area on product pages and below card images on collection pages. Madrid’s full-width, editorial-heavy design gives swatches room to breathe. Use “Premium Pill” or “Image Swatch” preset for the fashion-forward presets (Madrid, Affair). For the “Tote” preset (bags and accessories), standard color circles at 24px keep things clean without competing with product imagery. The “Furnish” preset targets furniture stores, where image swatches showing actual material textures (wood grain, fabric weave) are more useful than solid color dots.
Real use case. A clothing brand sells the same jacket in Olive, Navy, Rust, and Cream as four separate Shopify products (different fabric sources, different cost structures, different inventory counts per warehouse). Madrid’s editorial layout shows the jacket in a lifestyle context. Rubik groups those four products with color swatches on the collection page and the product page. Customer browses the collection grid, spots four color dots under the jacket card, clicks Rust, lands on the Rust product with its own pricing, inventory, and SKU.
Sydney + Rubik Combined Listings
Sydney is Apparent Collective’s jewelry-focused theme. $380, 13 reviews (85% positive), version 1.4.2 (April 2026). Ships with 5 presets: Sydney, Secrets, Silhouette, Vineyard, and Magazine. Target vertical: jewelry and accessories, though “Vineyard” clearly nods at wine and gourmet stores. Sydney emphasizes immersive visuals, video banners, and a dark mode option that most jewelry stores actually want (gold and silver photograph better against dark backgrounds).
Where Rubik Combined Listings renders on Sydney: Variant area and collection cards. Sydney’s dark mode preset (“Secrets”) is worth mentioning specifically. Rubik’s swatch border colors and background adapt through CSS variables, so on a dark-background theme, the swatch container does not appear as an awkward white box floating in a sea of black. We built the dark-mode compatibility because enough merchants asked about it. Set swatch background to transparent and border to a subtle grey (#555), and it looks native to Sydney’s Secrets preset.
But here is a candid observation: Sydney has the lowest rating of the seven at 85%. Two negative reviews out of thirteen. That is a small sample size, so the percentage swings hard with each review. The theme itself is well-built. The rating reflects early adopter friction, not fundamental issues.
Berlin + Rubik Combined Listings
Berlin is the minimalist option. $380, 23 reviews (96% positive), version 1.3.0 (March 2026). Ships with 5 presets: Berlin, Slope, Lens, Shave, and Stereo. Target vertical: fashion and lifestyle brands. Berlin leans into editorial-style layouts with bold typography and scroll-triggered visual effects. The preset names hint at the diversity: “Slope” for outdoor/sport, “Lens” for photography-driven stores, “Shave” for grooming brands, “Stereo” for music and audio gear.
Where Rubik Combined Listings renders on Berlin: Inside the product form section and on collection product cards. Berlin’s minimalist DNA means swatch placement should be subtle. Small circles (20px) or the “Compact” preset work well here. Avoid oversized pill swatches on Berlin because they fight the editorial whitespace that makes the theme look good in the first place. The “Lens” preset (photography stores) is interesting for combined listings because photo prints often come in different sizes that are sold as separate products (8×10, 11×14, 16×20). Rubik can group those with labeled pill swatches showing size names.
Our take. Berlin at 96% with 23 reviews is the sweet spot of the Apparent Collective lineup. High enough review count to be meaningful, high enough rating to trust. If you are picking an Apparent Collective theme fresh and want the safest bet, Berlin is it.
Barcelona + Rubik Combined Listings
Barcelona is the beauty and wellness entry. $380, 12 reviews (100% positive), version 1.2.2 (April 2026). Ships with 5 presets: Barcelona, Loom, Cashmere, Lights, and Beats. Target vertical: beauty and wellness, with jewelry and food/drink as secondary targets. 100% positive at 12 reviews. Small sample, but zero complaints is still zero complaints.
Where Rubik Combined Listings renders on Barcelona: Variant section and collection product cards. Barcelona’s beauty focus means many merchants sell the same skincare formula in different sizes (30ml, 50ml, 100ml) or different scents as separate products. Rubik groups them with labeled pill swatches (“30ml”, “Rose”, “Lavender”). The “Cashmere” preset has a warm, soft palette that pairs well with pastel-toned image swatches. “Beats” is the wildcard preset, clearly aimed at audio or music-related stores, where combined listings could group headphones by colorway.
One thing Barcelona gets right that some other premium themes miss: EU translations. Five languages (EN, FR, IT, DE, ES) built into the theme. If you are also using Rubik’s Translate and Adapt integration, your swatch labels translate alongside the rest of the storefront. No extra configuration.
Copenhagen + Rubik Combined Listings
Copenhagen is the Nordic-inspired option. $380, 10 reviews (100% positive), version 1.2.2 (April 2026). Ships with 5 presets: Copenhagen, Interior, Care, Pendant, and Oil. Target vertical: clothing and bags, plus jewelry and food/drink. The preset names tell the story: “Interior” for home decor, “Care” for wellness, “Pendant” for jewelry, “Oil” for CBD/essential oil stores. Each preset is a complete design system with different color palettes, font pairings, and layout configurations.
Where Rubik Combined Listings renders on Copenhagen: Variant picker and collection cards. Copenhagen’s clean Scandinavian aesthetic demands restraint. The “Minimal Circles” swatch preset at 20px is the natural fit. No borders, no shadows, just clean circles that look like they belong in the theme. The “Interior” preset deserves special attention for furniture stores that sell the same sofa in different upholstery fabrics as separate products. Image swatches showing actual fabric samples are extremely effective here.
Copenhagen also ships with micro-animations (subtle hover effects, smooth transitions). Rubik’s swatch hover states animate independently inside Shadow DOM, so there is no conflict with Copenhagen’s own animation system. A small detail, but the kind of thing that breaks on apps with poor DOM isolation.
San Francisco + Rubik Combined Listings
San Francisco is the tech-forward theme. $380, 5 reviews (100% positive), version 2.3.3 (April 2026). Ships with 5 presets: San Francisco, Bike, Leash, Shot, and Cuddle. Target vertical: electronics and medium-sized catalogs. The version number (2.3.3) is interesting because it suggests this theme has gone through more iteration than the newer ones. The preset names cover a wide range: “Bike” for cycling/sports gear, “Leash” for pet stores, “Shot” for photography/camera stores, “Cuddle” for softer lifestyle brands.
Where Rubik Combined Listings renders on San Francisco: Product variant section and collection cards. San Francisco’s full-width hero animations and product badge system create a busy product page. Rubik’s swatches sit inside the variant area, below the product title and price, above the add-to-cart button. For electronics stores using the San Francisco preset, where customers compare the same gadget in Black, Silver, and Space Grey as separate products (different storage capacities, different SKUs), labeled pill swatches work best: “128GB Black”, “256GB Silver”. Why not just color circles? Because electronics shoppers care about specs, not just color.
San Francisco has the smallest review count at 5. But 100% positive, and version 2.3.3 means it has been actively maintained through multiple releases. Low review count on premium themes is normal. Not everyone leaves reviews. We see this pattern across dozens of theme studios.
Monaco + Rubik Combined Listings
Monaco is the luxury tier. $380, 31 reviews (97% positive), version 1.2.2 (April 2026). Ships with 5 presets: Monaco, Memories, Moisturize, Tableware, and Dreams. Target vertical: high-end clothing. Monaco is designed for stores where the product imagery needs to be the star, with full-width elegant layouts, lookbook-style presentations, and generous whitespace. The “Moisturize” preset targets skincare/luxury beauty. “Tableware” targets premium homeware.
Where Rubik Combined Listings renders on Monaco: The variant picker area and collection cards. Monaco’s luxury aesthetic means the swatch style matters more here than on any other Apparent Collective theme. “Premium Pill” with a 1px border in the theme’s accent color is the cleanest match. For the “Moisturize” preset (skincare), image swatches showing product textures or packaging colors lift the presentation. Plain color circles look too casual for a theme called Monaco. That is a strong opinion, sure, but we have seen enough stores get this wrong that it is worth stating directly.
Monaco at 31 reviews and 97% positive is the second-most reviewed Apparent Collective theme after Madrid. The single negative review out of 31 puts it at a genuinely reliable rating. If your brand positioning is premium and you want a theme that matches that positioning, Monaco is the pick.
Per-theme comparison
| Theme | Price | Presets | Reviews | Rating | Version | Best Rubik swatch preset | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madrid | $380 | 5 (Madrid, Tote, Resort, Affair, Furnish) | 48 | 94% | 1.6.0 | Premium Pill / Image Swatch | Fashion, clothing, accessories |
| Sydney | $380 | 5 (Sydney, Secrets, Silhouette, Vineyard, Magazine) | 13 | 85% | 1.4.2 | Standard (dark-mode compatible) | Jewelry, wine, dark-mode stores |
| Berlin | $380 | 5 (Berlin, Slope, Lens, Shave, Stereo) | 23 | 96% | 1.3.0 | Compact / Minimal Circles | Fashion, lifestyle, editorial |
| Barcelona | $380 | 5 (Barcelona, Loom, Cashmere, Lights, Beats) | 12 | 100% | 1.2.2 | Labeled Pill / Image Swatch | Beauty, wellness, skincare |
| Copenhagen | $380 | 5 (Copenhagen, Interior, Care, Pendant, Oil) | 10 | 100% | 1.2.2 | Minimal Circles | Nordic minimalism, home, jewelry |
| San Francisco | $380 | 5 (San Francisco, Bike, Leash, Shot, Cuddle) | 5 | 100% | 2.3.3 | Labeled Pill | Electronics, medium catalogs |
| Monaco | $380 | 5 (Monaco, Memories, Moisturize, Tableware, Dreams) | 31 | 97% | 1.2.2 | Premium Pill | Luxury, high-end clothing |
Total across all seven: 35 presets, 142 combined reviews, and a weighted average rating above 95%. Every theme shares the same $380 price tag. The only differentiator is the design direction and target vertical. Pick the one that matches your brand, not the one with the most reviews.
Setup walkthrough
Identical across all seven Apparent Collective themes. Seriously. The OS 2.0 app block system means the process does not change whether you are on Madrid or Monaco.
- Install Rubik Combined Listings. Free plan covers 5 groups. No credit card required.
- Add the app block to your Apparent Collective theme. Open the theme editor, go to your product page template, drag Rubik’s app block into the variant section. Do the same for your collection page template if you want swatches on collection cards.
- Create groups, pick a swatch style, publish. AI Magic Fill auto-detects product colors from images. Pick one of 19 swatch presets. Preview live on your store. Out-of-stock products auto-hide in real time.
Three steps. Under five minutes if your products are already uploaded. We timed it.
Plan your variant structure with our free Shopify variant calculator before grouping. Check swatch color readability with the color contrast checker (especially important for Sydney’s dark mode presets where light swatches on dark backgrounds need sufficient contrast).
Pairing with Rubik Variant Images
Many Apparent Collective users also run Rubik Variant Images alongside Combined Listings. The full stack works like this: Rubik Combined Listings groups separate products with swatches on collection pages and product pages. When a customer clicks a swatch and lands on a specific product, Rubik Variant Images filters that product’s gallery to show only the images matching the selected variant. Two apps, both using Shadow DOM isolation, zero conflict with Apparent Collective’s design system or each other.
Why would you need both? Think about a furniture store on Copenhagen’s “Interior” preset. Combined Listings groups a sofa across 5 fabric options (5 separate products). Variant Images, inside each product, filters the gallery to show only the images for the selected leg finish (Oak, Walnut, Black Metal). Two levels of variant selection, no Shopify Plus required, no custom code.
“I use Rubik Combined Listings Along with Rubik Swatch. I went through, no exaggerating, 50 apps before I found what I needed. Theses guys are the real deal, and they will jump on chat and fix your problems ASAP. Definately reccomend.”
Parks Nerd, US, 2026-03-18 Rubik Combined Listings on the Shopify App Store
See the live demo store, watch the setup tutorial, or read the getting started guide.
Frequently asked questions
Does Rubik Combined Listings work on all Apparent Collective themes?
Yes. All seven flagship themes (Madrid, Sydney, Berlin, Barcelona, Copenhagen, San Francisco, Monaco) and the rest of the Apparent Collective catalog are OS 2.0 compatible. Rubik installs via theme app blocks. No code edits. Their older themes (Aspect, Tote, Interior, Sketch, and others) are also supported through the same mechanism.
Do I need Shopify Plus for combined listings on Apparent Collective themes?
No. Rubik Combined Listings works on every Shopify plan, including Basic. An Apparent Collective theme ($380 one-time) plus Rubik free plan ($0/month for 5 groups) gives you a working combined listings setup for $380 total. Upgrade to Rubik Starter ($10/month) if you need more than 5 groups.
Which Apparent Collective theme is best for fashion stores with many colorways?
Madrid. Built for clothing retailers, highest review volume in the lineup, and its editorial layout handles long swatch rows (8+ colors per product group) without breaking the grid. Berlin is the runner-up for stores that want a more minimal, editorial presentation. Monaco for luxury positioning.
Will Rubik’s swatches conflict with Apparent Collective’s CSS variables?
No. Rubik renders swatches inside Shadow DOM, which creates complete CSS isolation from the host page. Apparent Collective themes use 100+ CSS custom properties for their styling system. Shadow DOM means none of those variables affect swatch appearance, and none of Rubik’s styles leak into the theme. This was tested across all 35 presets.
Can I use Rubik Combined Listings with Sydney’s dark mode?
Yes. Set the swatch container background to transparent and use a subtle border color (#555 or similar) so swatches blend with Sydney’s dark palette. Rubik’s visual settings give you full control over swatch background, border, and text colors, so matching any dark-mode theme is straightforward.
Related reading
Umid
Co-Founder at Craftshift