Not all of us have had the chance to wear the McDonald’s uniform behind the counter, but that doesn’t mean we can’t rock it down the runway.
Finnish brand Vain is working in tandem with McDonald’s Finland to repurpose the fast-food restaurant attire into a collection of 27 stylish pieces for the fashion-hungry to don in their free time.
Vain takes the iconic branding of the Golden Arches and the signature black, red, yellow, and blue uniforms and turns them into something worthy of wearing down the street, or to a McDonald’s themed party. The lineup includes jackets, dresses, button-downs, sweaters, and accessories reimagined in never-before-seen silhouettes of the fast-food chain’s uniforms.
Fashionistas might want to take a bite out of the yummiest item to have come out of Spring/Summer 2023 catwalks: a Lay’s potato chip bag.
The look was first teased by Balenciaga’s creative director Demna Gvasalia—often known simply as Demna—in June, when he attended Antwerp’s Royal Academy of Fine Arts’ graduate fashion show toting a pack of Lay’s Original Wavy Potato Chips. The appearance fueled tittle-tattle about whether a snack-themed purse was in the works.
Well, before the idea got stale, the luxury house finally confirmed the moreish it-bag during its muddied presentation at Paris Fashion Week, where a couple of models were seen clutching Lay’s-branded calfskin bags and looking like ultimate snacks.
It appears that Balenciaga’s snack ‘bags’ will arrive in a few “flavors,” including classic, lime, and salt and vinegar. Closeup visuals shared by high-fashion curator Lil Jupiter on Instagram reveal that “Balenciaga Paris” are also branded on the clutches.
The bag retains a crinkled silhouette, scrunching in the middle as if perpetually being held in someone’s hand.
It’s too early for pricing details to be out, but you just know it’s going to be worth multiple crates of snacks. The perk is that you can fill this clutch with as many potato chips as you want. This won’t be one of those bags that comes with 50% air.
In this clip, Desiigner reflects back on being recruited by numerous record labels and being offered several multi-million dollar contracts. From there, the 25-year-old talks about receiving a phone call from Kanye West about using “Panda” for his album called “The Life of Pablo” and signing with his G.O.O.D. music imprint. He goes on talk about how good it felt to give back to the Brooklyn housing projects where he was raised.
Almost everyone’s gotten ketchup on their clothes at some point, and Heinz, whose name is pretty much synonymous with the condiment, is well aware.
Inspired by these mishaps, it has partnered online resale platform ThredUP tto launch the Heinz Vintage Drip collection, comprising 157 articles of second-hand streetwear and designer pieces intentionally stained with ketchup.
“While Heinz is recognized globally for its iconic glass bottle, keystone, and slow-pouring ketchup, we saw an opportunity to view the stain we’ve been leaving on clothes as another iconic brand symbol and change the narrative from stain to statement,” explained Alyssa Cicero, Brand Manager at Heinz.
“This collection is about sustainably celebrating the character Heinz ketchup stains add to apparel, inviting our fans to embrace a new iconic symbol,” she added.
The release comes at a time when the demand for secondhand clothing is higher than ever, with the 2022 Resale Report showing that 62% of Gen Z and Millennials search for a thrifted item before purchasing it new.
By believing that every outfit deserves a second life, “even summer barbeque casualties,” ThredUp wanted to work on a collection that celebrated reuse, and what better way to appeal to fashion risk-takers and food lovers alike than with ketchup-stained clothes?
In addition to the eco-friendly message, the capsule was specially designed to be inclusive across all sizes and genders, ranging from XXS to XXL. 100% of the proceeds from the sale will go towards Rise Against Hunger to support global hunger relief, so you can feel extra good about your purchase.
Take your old Converse out of the closet and they probably look a lot like Balenciaga’s newest sneakers.
At least that’s what some social media users are saying about the fashion company’s new kicks. Balenciaga is releasing a new collection of distressed shoes called the Paris Sneaker, and some are going for nearly $2,000. The shoes are “extremely worn, marked up, and dirtied,” in Balenciaga’s own words, and they’re already being roasted online.
The priciest pair in the collection is an $1,850 limited edition of women’s high-tops that have “destroyed cotton and rubber” and “rippings all over the fabric,” according to the product listing. They also have dark smudges and marks dirtying the rubber soles and the brand name written in what resembles Sharpie marker. These shoes are available in black and white. Balenciaga says it’ll only sell 100 pairs of these “extra destroyed” shoes.
The collection also includes a pair of less-distressed high-tops available in red, black, and white for $625. Unlike the more expensive pair, these come without slashes in the fabric and have much less prominent smudging on the soles, but they do have scuff marks.
Mules in red, black, and white round out the collection with some fraying and light smudges on the soles. They’ll set you back $495.
In a press release, Balenciaga said the shoes’ worn-out appearance suggests they are “meant to be worn for a lifetime.” The shoes are available for pre-order.
The collection is drawing plenty of attention and criticism online, with one Twitter user posting a picture of the shoes and saying, “Balenciaga is releasing a new pair of shoes, and I have to assume they are just trolling people at this point.”
“Balenciaga is now selling beat-up Converse for $1850,” another Twitter user commented.
“Balenciaga gotta be a social experiment,” a third Twitter user said.
The fashion house is no stranger to controversy and ridicule. Last summer, the brand caught heat for $1,200 sweatpants that some people said “gentrified sagging” and were “tremendously racist.” In 2017, the company debuted a $2,145 tote bag strongly resembling Ikea’s 99-cent blue Frakta bag.
Coca-Cola has been in the beverage game since 1886. In that long, storied history, Coca-Cola has not only sold a lot of soda worldwide but spawned a thriving ecosystem full of sought-after, licensed memorabilia. The cola king’s signature red, Spencerian script wordmark, ribbon, and contour bottles add value and desirability to everything from vintage appliances, vending machines, and promotional displays to clothing, toys, and personalized cans and bottles.
Now, the brand is bringing a retail IRL experience to the UK with a pop-up store in London’s Covent Garden. Running now through September, Coca-Cola’s retail shop features a beverage bar serving classic Coke products, including mocktails, exclusive merchandise, and clothing collaborations with Alma de Ace, BAPE, BE@RBRICK, Herschel, Soho Grit, and Staple. Additionally, the Coca-Cola store will offer limited-edition merchandise for Pride this upcoming June.
While brands are racing to launch NFTs and meta everything, Coca-Cola seems to be opting for IRL experiences with pop-up stores. Not only that, but they released high-concept sodas like Starlight and Pixel, which flips the script on Web3, bringing digital to the real world instead of the other way around.
Guess it’s nice to be able to physically hold your creations, huh?
Louis Vuitton has unlatched discourse for allegedly violating its contract with an independent designer, and it now owes her €900,000 (US$989,000), as ordered by a Parisian court.
Jocelyne Imbert designed the ‘LV tournant’, a clasp with a swiveling ‘LV’ monogram, for Louis Vuitton Malletier. The agreement was that if Louis Vuitton used the feature on new handbags, she’d be paid about €76,000 (US$83,510).
The collaboration, and by extension the dispute, goes decades back. Imbert designed the clasp in 1988, and she signed a contract with Louis Vuitton on the usage of the lock in 1992.
However, in 2014, the ‘LV tournant’ began appearing on the label’s new Twist products, the first of a number of lines, according to French newspaper Le Canard Enchaîné (via Vogue Business). Imbert reached out, and Louis Vuitton subsequently offered her a check for €79,853 (US$87,766), which she declined to take as she had uncovered the lock in another bag collection containing purses—she had only authorized the use of the clasp on handbags.
The swiveling logo lock would eventually be applied onto shoes, bracelets, belts, and other accessories.
The dispute was thrown out in 2020 but Imbert filed an appeal.
Louis Vuitton has not responded to enquiries about the case, but Le Canard Enchaîné hears that the label is looking to contest the claims. Regardless, Imbert’s lawyer Jean-Philippe Hugot tells Vogue Business that Louis Vuitton will still be required to fork out the €900,000 it owes her even if it escalates the matter in court.
Sofía Jirau has officially made history, becoming the first Victoria’s Secret model with Down syndrome.
The 24-year-old Puerto Rican model shared the news on social media, joining the fashion brand — along with 17 other women — for a new underwear line and campaign, Love Cloud Collection. Alongside a black and white photo of herself modeling a Victoria’s Secret bra, Jiaru thanked the company for seeing her as a model “without limits.”
“One day I dreamed of it, I worked for it and today it’s a dream come true. I can finally tell you my big secret,” Jirau wrote. “I am Victoria’s Secret’s first model with Down syndrome!”
“Thank you Victoria’s Secret for seeing me as a model who has #NoLimits and making me part of the inclusive Love Cloud Collection campaign,” she added. “Inside and out, there are no limits.”
“Love Cloud Collection is a major moment in the brand’s evolution,” Raúl Martinez, Victoria Secret’s chief creative director, said in a statement. “From the cast of incredible women that bring the collection to life, to the incredible inclusive spirit on set, this campaign is an important part of the new Victoria’s Secret standard we are creating.”
Back in June, sisters Mia and Tatiana Escalante made headlines in Australia when they turned up at Australian Fashion Week in matching outfits. And before that, they had already amassed a strong Instagram following for their adorable getups.
Now, the Sydney-based duo, aged five and four, are launching their first apparel line in a brand of their own, the Mia x Tati Store.
The label’s pieces echo what the sisters look for in fashion; clothes are comfy and allow the wearer to run and move around freely.
The Mia x Tati Store features chic, gender-neutral outfits that put comfort at their forefront.
Outside the business, the siblings are kindred spirits and enjoy dressing up in coordinated outfits. Their camaraderie shows on their Instagram account, which now has drawn 748,000 followers since their parents opened it two years ago. In almost no time at all, they were scoring partnerships with brands.
“It just made sense for the girls to start their own fashion brand that really represents their style and show how simple it is to create trendy looks with everyday essentials,” the young fashionistas’ mother, Nga Escalante, told Daily Mail Australia in an interview.
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