The ultimate pairing?

August 21st, 2024 | Written by Tricia Patras

It's no secret that the 90s are back. Street style has turned into jelly shoes, tinner eyebrows, and dresses with floating baguettes on them. Food is becoming the newest fad in the fashion world and for a good reason. Wearing a bright-coloured dress filled with lemons is an instant mood booster. It’s no secret that food boosts an instant endorphin rush, but so does buy your new favourite dress.  

So, why not mix the two?  

Fashion houses like Loewe, Staud, and Dolce & Gabbana are increasingly looking to the culinary world for inspiration: vibrant colours, patterns, and textures. Staud’s most popular bag, The Tommy, features an array of designs ranging from oranges to oysters. Loewe has also recently gained popularity for its purse that resembles a tomato.  

The core of food and fashion is not just seen within designer brands but also within the fast fashion scene as well. Anthropologie has always been the leading lady in funky patterns and prints, but recently they have been diving into the food & fashion trend. Walking into a store feels almost like walking into a buffet.  

There is something nostalgic about wearing fruit and vegetables on your clothing. It’s a way for adults to dive into their childish nature while still staying ‘on trend. It's cleansing to wear a matching cherry outfit that you would have worn as an 8-year-old. There is a reason why the 90’s are recircling at a time when we need it most. In a world of technology-centered teens, where TikTok is taking over as basic social interaction of our youth, resetting back to the 90s feels pretty good. We’re hungry for moments that remind us of a simpler time, and for some reason, putting on an avocado-print bucket hat does that for us.  

I’m personally a fan of not taking ourselves too seriously, and this new trend helps the normally “serious” people find an outlet to let loose a bit. Not to mention the mental benefits of it all. A skirt with cucumbers on it will undoubtedly boost your mood.   

Come to think of it, I actually don’t think it’s possible to feel sad while wearing a print of your favourite food.  

It’s a known fact that our serotonin increases when we do two things: receive moments of instant gratification (shopping) and when we eat. So naturally, it feels right to put a giant piece of bread on a cocktail dress and call it a day.  

Some brands have even taken it to the next level and incorporated actual food into the shopping process. Prada opened their café in Harrods just last year. There you will find a range of colour-oriented lemon cakes to green foam cappuccinos, all of which have the Prada logo cleverly engrained within each bite. This is not just a great marketing move for the fashion and food movement, but a delicious way to shop. Gucci also has their Gucci café in Florence which includes special foods that can directly correlate with their relevant fashion lines.  

The food and fashion trend is a way to combat the parts of our personalities that we sometimes try to hide. You might be the shy girl at work who shows up one day wearing a dress with thousands of mini shrimp on it. That’s the point of fashion in the first place: a form of self-expression. 

The fusion of food and fashion is more than just a fleeting fad that comes back every ten years. It is a cultural phenomenon that celebrates creativity, sustainability, and social connection. By rocking your favourite foods on your back, you are supporting not only the importance of eating, which also is a controversial attribute of the high fashion world, but also your personal interests.  

The intersection of food and fashion allows for both industries to be more relatable and approachable. I, alongside most of the current fashion world, think this is a brilliant scheme to incorporate fun, funky patterns into the flexibility of self-expression that fashion provides.  

This trend is the perfect example of how much deeper fashion is than just our clothes. It showcases our cultures, desire for youth, and personalities in a way that can’t be shown through anything. Except maybe food.