Why Is Fashion So Obsessed With Food?

Food is the soul of fashion right now. Handbags have become silver-gilded walnuts at Dior and over-the-top colossal shrimp towers and a birthday cake larger than what you’d see at the world’s top weddings reigned supreme at Coach’s recent 85th anniversary fashion show. Celine served hot dogs at a recent NYFW event, and Rachel Comey had models walking down the runway of her spring/summer 2027 show clutching silver metallic Coco bags, replete with pockets and heat protection for Unreal’s chic sweet snacks. That’s all in addition to Judith Leiber, the mainstay that has been upholding crystal-covered novelty food bags for decades, and J.W. Anderson, which is carrying the torch into the future with cauliflower and carrot bag charms.

But fashion’s food obsession goes far beyond hors d’oeuvres and bags, too. The food mania in fashion has reached such a peak that it’s now more than commonplace that the trending colors of the season are defined by food. Just look at berry hues or butter yellow. “Food continues to be a much bigger part of consumers’ lifestyles and the convergence of food with interiors, fashion, and homewares is evolving,” Jennifer Creevy, director of food & drink at WGSN, tells ELLE. “While we have seen many fashion or homeware collaborations with food and drink brands, we are now seeing that food or drink names carry more depth than pure color chart names. ‘Butter,’ for example, suggests comfort, warmth, and softness, as well as yellow. Food is increasingly becoming a shared aesthetic language.”

AUDE LE BARBEY

Dior spring/summer 2027 walnut bag.

Rachel Comey

Rachel Comey x Unreal Coco bag.

Ironically or not, something about butter yellow and berry red sounds more luxurious than a typical descriptor like scarlet or even daisy. With these designs in today’s economy, it’s impossible to ignore the direct correlation of food and fresh produce as visual, wearable wealth. It’s a tale as old as time: Dating back to the Victorian period, pineapples were an exotic status symbol and could be rented for parties to impress guests. In 2026, the story also writes itself: A-list stars who are revered for their beauty and wealth are being defined by trends like espresso hair with “rich” tones, matcha routines that emphasize health and well-being, or chai latte nails with an emphasis on low-key chic.

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Coach’s NYFW birthday cake.

But on a surface level, most people are probably gravitating toward food in fashion (or beauty) because it’s something everyone can naturally relate to, and it brings people together. Brands clearly see a lot of value in it too, with Le Café Louis Vuitton opening in 2024 and serving a menu of fashion-forward dishes like monogram ravioli. A food-shaped bag or an impressive tablescape at a fashion event just naturally sparks joy.