5 outrageous fashion offerings with unjustifiable price tags

The internet is increasingly questioning the hefty prices that accompany certain impractical items of luxury labels

There’s a lot to love about the recently released collaboration between Gucci and Adidas. Hot favourites include the Gazelle sneaker covered in Gucci’s double-G logo, sporty separates bearing stripes symbolic of both brands and bags stamped with a mash-up of monograms. However, there’s one item from the collection that seems to be garnering attention for all the wrong reasons. The internet is both amused and outraged by a $1,644 umbrella that is not waterproof. Since the news of the exorbitantly priced product that doesn’t serve its primary purpose first surfaced, social media platforms have been rife with critical comments that have also dug up the brand’s past controversial offerings–there was mention of a pair of grass-stained jeans sold for $1,200 and pre-ripped nylon tights priced at $190. But the Italian fashion house isn’t alone in occasionally sending out items that seem to defy logic. From a sweater that resembles a block of cheese to a shoe that cues memories of a cartoon character’s paw, people are increasingly questioning items that, despite their hefty price tags, don’t quite deliver on design, durability or other factors that back our decision to invest in luxury goods. We highlight five other instances when fashion went too far.

Moschino’s baguette bag

Moschino is famous for its bold and out-of-the-box collections, many of which take not-so-subtle cues from food. However, not all of the fashion house’s attempts at marrying food and fashion have been as successful as its McDonalds-inspired line. Twitter had a field day when the brand’s baguette bag was unveiled. Priced at $1,170, the elongated clutch, which was likened to a Subway sandwich, invited several pun-heavy comments including one that read “that’s a lot of dough for one baguette”.

Prada’s cheese sweater

Some luxury goods deliberately draw inspiration from edible items and some end up having unintentional yet uncanny resemblances. ‘Can the Devil Afford Prada’ or ‘The Devil Wears Gouda’ are some of the headlines that show up when you look up Prada’s much-talked-about yellow turtleneck. The colour and strategically placed holes of the sweater, which sets you back by $1,350, reminded many people of a block of Swiss cheese.

Balenciaga and Adidas collaboration

The debate around the destroyed Paris sneakers had just about died down and Balenciaga was making headlines again for a few offerings from its collaboration with Adidas. Unlike the other items on this list, the problem here wasn’t with a lack of wearability. Shortly after the collection was revealed, anonymous Instagram account Diet Prada posted a collage of two items–an Adidas dress that cost $45 and a shockingly similar top from the collaboration that cost $1,550. The image, which showcased how a simple logo switch can substantially increase the price of a product, amassed close to 2500 comments.

Proenza Schouler’s Hawaiian lei

At Proenza Schouler’s Spring/Summer 2022 show, many of the Scuba-inspired separates were paired with a long, hard-to-miss garland made out of feathers and ribbon. This was the New York-based brand’s take on the Hawaiian lei and it had to be discontinued shortly after it was listed on their website. The overpriced accessory, costing $1,490, was called out by the Hawaiian community on social media for exploiting an indigenous culture.

Givenchy’s split-toed shoe

From colourful Crocs to futuristic floaters, the fashion world has worked up an appetite for ugly footwear but it seems to draw the line at a pair of shoes that resemble a cartoon character’s paw. During Matthew M Williams’ debut show at Paris Fashion Week, models walked the ramp in three-toed brown socks and shoes that divided the front of their foot into three distinct segments. The divisive heels, which were meant to be a tribute to an Alexander McQueen shoe from 1997, had the internet in hysterics because they appeared to look a lot like Scooby Doo’s paw.

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