Last month, luxury fashion line Kate Spade New York and Heinz, the food processing company famous for its ketchup, announced they were teaming up to launch a limited-edition, sexy fashion collection. The new line, called “Condiment Couture,” will include tote bags and pouches designed to resemble ketchup packets, slip-on shoes featuring open ketchup packets, and T-shirts, leather accessories, key chains, and phone cases featuring Heinz’s iconic typography.
“Kate Spade New York shares many values with Heinz, from creating the highest quality products that are artisanally crafted down to the last detail to showing true dedication to our fans,” Megan Lang, head of global brand communications and creativity at Heinz, said in a statement. “In return, both brands have incredibly loyal fan bases that span generations. At Heinz, we love to celebrate the unique and unconventional ways our fans show their love for us, and this collection is the perfect opportunity to do just that.”
While the partnership may seem unlikely, Kate Spade is no stranger to food-themed fashion: The designer brand boasts a strawberry milk print crossbody, a coffee break tote, silk tomato ketchup bandanas, snack pendants, gold-tone ketchup cartons, french fries, and hot dog drop earrings.
“At Kate Spade New York, we believe in exploring the journey of self-expression through style in fun and unexpected ways,” Jennifer Liu, senior vice president and head of design, Kate Spade New York, added in a statement. “Thoughtful details, like embellishments on T-shirts and 3D ketchup bags that look just like the classic red and white packaging, bring this collection with Heinz to life. The playful designs are perfect for special summer moments, capturing the spirit of the season.”
Kate Spade and Heinz joined a growing list of buzzworthy food and fashion collaborations over the past decade. Ben & Jerry’s partnered with Nike to release “Chunky Dunky” sneakers, a nod to the ice cream brand’s famous Chunky Monkey flavor. Forever 21 teamed up with Taco Bell to release a line of tops, bodysuits, sweatshirts and anoraks, all printed with the chain’s Tex-Mex-inspired food. Heineken teamed up with Japanese brand BAPE for a line of streetwear. And Moschino once released a McDonald’s-inspired collection, with models dressed as McDonald’s employees and carrying handbags emblazoned with the Golden Arches on plastic food trays.
In 2022, Balenciaga partnered with Frito-Lay to release a $1,500 leather clutch modeled after a crumpled, discarded bag of Lay’s potato chips. Called the “LOL Clutch,” the bag came in four different “flavors”: Classic, Flamin’ Hot, Limon, and Salt & Vinegar. Each design mimicked the original bag of chips without explicitly listing the individual “flavors” on the bag.
The bag, part of Balenciaga’s Spring/Summer 2023 collection, was unveiled at the fashion house’s “Mad Show” presentation during Paris Fashion Week and has caused a stir on social media, with most commentators mocking the bag’s ridiculous concept and exorbitant price tag, while many expressed a craving for chips — even if they don’t exist.
“So sad to see a bag of Hot Lay’s when they’re not even sold in any stores or online,” one commenter wrote on Lay’s Instagram account. “We have enough of the other flavors already. […] And now we can’t find [Hot Lay’s.]”
Despite the disappointing response, the Balenciaga clutch bag quickly became a talking point online, both in the fashion and food worlds. On the fashion side, the bag became a quirky yet unique it accessory on and off the runway (eagle-eyed fashionistas spotted Balenciaga’s creative director Demna carrying an empty packet of Lay’s Original Wavy Potato Chips at Antwerp’s Royal Academy of Fine Arts graduation show). On the food side, the bag made people crave chips, namely Frito-Lay’s brand.
The initial release of this clutch bag was so well-received that Balenciaga has launched a new series of potato chip-inspired handbags. The bags come in three colors: yellow (cheese and onion), blue (salt and vinegar), and red (spicy chili), all with “Balenciaga” and the respective flavor written in bold. Actor Michael Shannon was recently spotted posing with the yellow handbag on the red carpet at the 2024 Met Gala.
“When done well, food and fashion brand collaborations can expand each brand’s identity and customer base,” wrote a blog post from Vyudu Inc., a digital marketing agency that works with some of the biggest names in fashion and beauty, including Brinker & Eliza, ASOS and Gucci. “They tap into retail culture’s desire for exclusivity, offering limited-edition products that resonate with consumers.”
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Then there’s the “wow” factor – the secret ingredient that takes a simple, everyday product and makes it something never seen before. In an age where likes, clicks, views, shares and re-shares take priority, this makes a product stand out and become even more appealing among consumers.
For example, McDonald’s line of custom-designed Crocs included clogs featuring Grimmus, the infamous purple mascot behind berry-flavored Grimmus shakes and creepy TikTok trends. Or the limited-edition Oreo x Supreme snacks, in which the iconic cookie is colored red and emblazoned with the Supreme logo on one side. There are also limited-edition Pop-Tart Crocs, which take the shoes to a new level by adding an edible pin. The complete pack included one pair of Crocs’ classic clogs, a box of Pop-Tarts, and an edible alligator-shaped Jibbitz candy.
As for Kate Spade and Heinz, their $398 ketchup bags have already been described as “the accessory of summer” by Eater magazine. The collaboration also evokes nostalgia, but that’s not the case with other big brands like Betsey Johnson and LC Lauren Conrad, who have also launched their own food-shaped bags.
“For people around the world, Heinz + Kate Spade New York is about everyday essentials that elevate life’s moments, whether at the dinner table or in your wardrobe,” said Alexandra Lieberman, brand PR manager, Kraft Heinz. “This partnership is inspired by generations of fans who have grown up with both brands, fusing the colorful, playful and well-crafted style of Kate Spade New York with Heinz’s iconic and unmistakable symbolism and the color red.”
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