If you have kept even half an eye on fashion news, there is no way you have missed the explosive rise of french brand Vetements. Over the last year they have been in the centre of various hyped up items ranging from hoodies to deconstructed jeans. Although they released their first collection in 2014, last year was Vetements year. So much so, that they have set most of the trends we see staying around for 2017.
Trends can be hard, they can be even harder when they are set by the lucrative clothing brand. With brands constantly posting to social media, creating hype, it can be easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of new releases, surprise pop up shops and once of streetwear drops - especially so when the sold out sign means actually sold out to never be restocked.
While off putting, a curveball of must haves come along, and we find ourselves feeling thrown off by a garment that suddenly everyone is coveting. Vetements over the last year as said, has been the dead ringer of coveted items. And only a week into 2017 they are already at it again.
First things first though; Vetements is pronounced vet-MAHN and it’s a le french for clothes. ( insert cringe french accent ) Secondly, all we know about the design team is that Demna Gvasalia is the lead designer and public face, everything else remains a mystery. We also know that the brand likes to be coy, selling us pieces that .. ahem.. have been deconstructed. Patch work jeans? A hoody with a slit on the back, so you can wear it two ways. Can anyone say ripping us off?
It would seem most recently, Vetements is in no doubt trolling us all completely. A few days ago, Paper reported on Vetements “Offical Fake” raincoat. The jacket in question is - and try stay with me here - a ripoff of a knockoff of the brand’s own outerwear pieces from a few seasons ago, Oh, and its already sold out. Also! The ‘original fake’ as in the first knockoff from Vetememes has gone up in price since the sell out of the branded fake, which I’m sure will also sell out.
We are suckers to say the least. This is comes from a brand who told the world;
“The whole idea is to limit the production, having less pieces and making sure that people who buy these pieces can cherish it for a longer time. It’s moving away from this idea of fashion fashion, to this of slow fashion.”
One could presume then Vetements as a brand is against fast fashion culture, that their message ( ethos almost ? ) is to create clothing that last longer and proves a point of buying simple separates but of a luxury standard.
Yet here we are talking about how they have copied a copy of their original work, which was more than likely made a mass production level as to sell it a third of the price. Bit hypocritical if you ask me, others might comment that they are able to make fun of themselves, have a shit and giggle at the endeavour while making a rack load of money from it.
The original raincoat.
As consumers, we need to start being less naive in the money play by streetwear companies. The strategic hype that brands create for themselves is creating a downward spiral for fashion lovers wallets. Parody fashion was a big trend in 2016, and is not a trend I want to see continued into 2017. Anyone remember the white DHL t-shirt that sold for the sweet price of $330? Ironic, sarcastic, taking a quip of themselves, however we phrase it, we need to stop purchasing clothes in the mindset of how many hearts and likes it may get on the gram.
Can we try promise one another to stop buying for Instagram in 2017 please?
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