First came Christopher Kane's cable ties. Then, we had Balenciaga's much-memed £1,705 re-imagining of IKEA's blue Frakta bag. Most recently, Twitter made light work of Prada's £140 paper clip (a silver 'money clip' engraved with the Italian brand's logo). Now, another seemingly humble household item has been given the high fashion treatment.
More commonly used for wrapping up boxes, covering frayed wires and all manner of DIY fixes, duct tape has apparently caught the eye of designer Raf Simons, who is currently selling a luxe version for a cool £155.
First seen on the autumn/winter catwalks at the former Dior creative director’s menswear show, the role of tape in question is available in two colourways, each distinct from the metallic grey you’re most likely to come across in your local hardware store: the choice is between red text on a white background, bearing the phrase ‘Youth Project,’ or black with ‘Walk With Me’ in red, perhaps a subtle nod to Twin Peaks. While the significance of both phrases isn’t entirely clear, they certainly beat ‘Fragile: Handle With Care.’
Simons’ duct tape isn’t merely designed as a way of bringing serious fashion credentials to your stationery kit just in time for September’s back-to-school mania. On the catwalk, it was used as a makeshift belt to cinch in winter coats at the waist; it could also add a (not-so) subtle Raf accent to hems and cuffs, or just be used as the DIY gods intended – as a multi-purpose fix-it solution. Truly, the possibilities are endless.
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If you’ve fallen for this latest headline-baiting piece of fashion kit but can’t quite stretch to £155 a roll, designer Peter Jensen has also jumped on this trend, and is selling his own haute duct tape priced at £15. Plus, it comes emblazoned with a whimsical bunny print. In the mean time, we’re calling staplers and gel pens as the next big thing for spring-summer…
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