Food-Themed Fashion Is Starting to Feel Gluttonous
There was a time, not too long ago, when a purse shaped like a baguette felt like a thrilling — even subversive — novelty. Now, we hardly bat an eye when we see that Moschino has made a trompe l’oeil celery purse, or that Big Bud Press is making a hot-dog-and-pretzel-print jumpsuit in collaboration with […]
Food-inspired fashion has reached a saturation point, leaving some questioning its long-term appeal. Once considered a daring novelty, a purse shaped like a baguette or a hot-dog print jumpsuit now seem mundane. The trend began in high-end fashion but quickly permeated mass-market offerings. Loewe's luxury collection featured a $4,150 tomato clutch, while Walmart offered a line of rotisserie chicken-themed purses starting at just $5.97.
This shift started with designers like Carly Mark, whose Puppets and Puppets brand merged haute couture with whimsical food designs, and designers like Katie Kimmel, whose T-shirts celebrating chicken parmesan became status symbols. The pandemic amplified the trend, giving rise to viral dishes on social media, such as the chocolate chip cookie purse and the vongole shirt by Tombolo Company.
Food-as-fashion resonates due to its association with pleasure, money, and nostalgia from the millennial foodie era. However, the novelty may be wearing thin as the fashion industry grapples with rapidly changing trends and fleeting consumer attention spans. Moreover, rising food costs add a layer of irony - high-end garments adorned with lobster or caviar now read as far less exclusive than cheaper alternatives.
While food motifs will likely persist in fashion, their hyperbolic nature risks becoming more about conspicuous consumption than genuine style or identity expression.
Written by urgent.news from Eater's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
