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Remember the old days when we got a good talking to for getting grass stains on your jeans while playing outside? Well, you should tell your mom grass stains are now considered high fashion – and buying a pair will only set you back $1 200 (about R12 850).
Gucci is selling jeans that appear to be pre-stained with grass, presumably for customers who want to pull off a down-to-earth look, without actually getting dirty. According to their website, the low-waist, wide-leg blue jeans is made from organic cotton and features a green tinge at the knee, which has been treated “for a stained-like distressed effect”.
The designer denim, which also features a vintage Gucci logo label on the back pocket, is made from recycled materials.
The Italian designer is taking things a step further with grass-stained overalls in its men’s collection, which retails for $1 400 (R18 000).
Both items channel a “grunge vibe” they say, but the brand has come under fire for the exorbitant cost. “Gucci has gone mad with these grass-stained jeans. £600 when I can do it for free in my garden,” one social-media user posted.
This isn't the first time the fashion house has charged high-end prices for items many people would consider well-worn, however. Last year, Gucci released a pair 1970s-style sneakers that looked, well, dirty. The shoes, called Screener sneakers, cost $870 online and were "treated for an all-over distressed effect”.
Yet the Italian designer brand isn’t the only one that’s taken fashion too far. From hundred-dollar duct tape to designer paper bags, here are a few other times designers disappointed the fashion industry.
Bottega Veneta’s $1 350 (R22 575) instant noodle heels
Last year the Italian fashion house’s quilted square-toe mules were the most sought-after women’s fashion product in the world, with more than 27 000 people searching for the style online each month.
But for their 2020 pre-fall collection, it seems creative director Daniel Lee looked to a different style source: two-minute noodles.
Diet Prada, a popular Instagram account that reports on the fashion industry, pointed out the uncanny similarities between the $1 350 heels and uncooked instant noodles.
Moschino’s $735 (R12 291) dry-cleaning bag dress
Even high fashion’s most loyal followers were left puzzled when the Italian brand’s $735 dry-cleaning bag dresses hit the runway in 2017. The dresses, which made their debut as part of creative director Jeremy Scott’s trash-themed collection, were made of transparent polyester that pays homage to dry-cleaning garment bags.
The dresses featured screen printing that reads “We [heart] our customers” and “Free pickup and delivery”.
Jil Sander’s $290 (R4 849) paper bag
The German designer may have taken her trademark minimalist style too far when she debuted a paper bag carry-all in 2012.
Retailing for $290, it featured coated paper, some light stitching and, of course, the all-important Jil Sander logo – yet it still looked like the paper bag you wrap your sandwich in.
Prada’s $185 (R3 093) paperclip
With $185 you could probably walk into your nearest stationery supply store and buy thousands of paperclips. But for anyone who isn’t interested in a lifetime supply of clips, you can spend the same money on just one.
In 2017 Prada debuted a sterling silver "paperclip-shaped" money clip that’s 6,25cm long and 2,25cm wide.
Raf Simons’ $200 (R3 344) duct tape
If you’re looking to give your wardrobe an unnecessarily extravagant update for the summer, consider spending a cool $200 on the Belgian fashion designer’s custom rolls of duct tape.
The 5cm-wide tape was first seen on the brand’s menswear catwalk for autumn/winter 2017 and was used not to wrap boxes, but in place of a belt – taping up oversized white coats and tweed blazers.
Thom Browne’s $2 600 (R43 479) dog-shaped bag
The American fashion designer is a big fan of his dog. Hector, an adorable wire-haired Dachshund, has his own Instagram account, and is probably the second-most famous pet in fashion after late designer Karl Lagerfeld's cat, Choupette. Although Hector has been featured in his owner’s collections in many ways over the years, Thom’s most lavish tribute to his beloved pooch is this Dachshund-shaped $2 600 leather-pebbled bag. Talk about barking mad!
Maison Margiela’s $1 425 (R23 830) distressed sneakers
How much would you pay for a pair of sneakers that look like your dog ate them? French designer Maison Margiela’s MM6 Fusion Sneakers have the appearance of being melted, dirtied and frayed – despite being brand-new kicks. The sneakers’ release was met with a massive backlash on social media. “Poverty is not a f*cking costume,” one irate social-media user posted on Twitter.
Sources: Gucci.com, Insider, Instagram, thombrowne.com
