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FOOD AND FASHION: two entities that aren’t typically mentioned in the same sentenceâmy clothes can stay far away from any form of food, thank you very much (says a self-professed messy eater). But in recent times, we’re seeing the two overlap, forming a unity in the form of fashion collaborations. And they’re every bit as entertaining as one might think.
âFood is that type of thing like clothes, give it a chance to absorb itself and once you do, it can speak through the medium like streetwear culture,” says Mikey Cole of Mikey Likes It Ice Cream, the world’s first pop culture-inspired premium Ice Cream brand, for Hypebeast. “As long as food is good, and the collab is genuine, then itâs really worth it.”
Yesterday, we saw the latest food-fashion collaboration come to life: McDonaldâs x Palace, which is set to release its 15-piece capsule collection today. The streetwear-meets-fast food partnership was revealed as part of McDonalds’ ‘As Featured Inâ campaign, which highlights the impact the Golden Arches has had on pop culture over the years.
In light of this unlikely collaboration theme, Esquire has rounded up the tastiest (and not so) streetwear-meets-food collaborations we’ve seen in recent times.
1
McDonalds x Palace
London-based skate brand Palace has teamed up with the world’s most iconic fast food restaurant to create a 15-piece collection, set to drop imminently. The limited capsule features branded items like t-shirts, hoodies and skateboardsâwould it be a Palace project without some specials decks?âdesigned exclusively in Mickey D’s iconic house colours.
We’re lovin’ it!
2
KITH x Coca-Cola
Back in 2017, Coca-Cola reached out to Ronnie Fieg, founder and designer of Kith, to design a vintage-inspired collection of garments made through a modern lens. The result was so popular that there would be three more collaborations in the years to come.
âIt was my favorite beverage growing up. So itâs very nostalgic. When I saw some of the assets and the old logos, those resonated with me immediately,â Fieg said at the launch of his 2019 Hamptons summer collection.
The last time Fieg teamed up with Coca-Cola, he unveiled a 105-piece collection comprising of men’s and womenâs styles, all drawing inspiration from Coca-Colaâs Classic archives. Included was limited edition t-shirts and shirts, hoodies and windbreakers, and even paraphernalia like a Kith x Coca-Cola surfboard.
3
BAPE x Heineken
The story goes, way back in 2010, Heineken decided to team up with a select few brands/tastemakers to create limited-edition gearâjust 100 units to be sent to a list of 100 of the most influential individuals. In 2019, Heineken partnered with renowned streetwear label BAPE to create the first capsule collection to made available to the public. Comprising of just four piecesâa half-zip pullover ‘shark’ hoodie, a camo coach jacket, a T-shirt, and a six-pack beer tote bagâthe collection was an immediate hit with hype beasts.
4
KFC x Crocs
When the KFC x Crocs collaborative clog was released in 2020, the world went mad for its finger lickin’ good appeal. Of course, the whimsical collaboration wasn’t intended to ever be seriousâit was initiated with charity in mind. For every clog that was sold, KFC donated $3 to its REACH Educational Grant Program. Except to pay up to $1000 for this exclusive croc on the secondary market.
Still, we’re not too sure about walking around in these crocs (or any croc, for that matter… what are thoseeeee!).
5
GCDS x PEPSI
Italian streetwear label GCDS and Pepsi came together earlier this year for a surprising yet stylish, limited edition capsule collection featuring on array of clothing and accessories embellished in the famous Pepsi colours. Items include a leather biker jacket, retro bowling shirt, logo hoodies and trucker hats.
