BITS ‘N’ PIECES

English fisherman Andy Hackett caught a monster-sized fish in France’s Bluewater Lakes. The fish, nicknamed ‘The Carrot,’ weighs 67 pounds and is technically a mixture of leather carp and koi carp. It settled at the lake more than 20 years ago.

The Carrot didn’t go home with Hackett and was instead released back into its habitat after photos of it were taken.

According to the Bluewater Lakes Facebook page, the fish is in excellent health and is expected to live up to approx 35 years.

‘Worn out’ Adidas Stan Smith trainers sell out at Balenciaga

Balenciaga’s range of ‘worn-out’ sneakers, launched in collaboration with Adidas this month, have sold out. This is despite an eye-watering price tag of almost £700.

Balenciaga is not the only brand to have made distressed trainers. Gucci created a pair of dirty-on-purpose trainers in 2019, which are on sale on its website for £715. Golden Goose has long made these types of sneakers: a design called the Superstar Taped Sneaker in 2018 was deemed particularly offensive. These items could be seen as the influence of the secondhand market, valued at $35b (£28bn) in 2021, up from $11bn a decade ago. Perhaps the difference here is that Balenciaga has used Stan Smiths – a relatively affordable, accessible design. They have ‘destroyed’ them, and made them luxury, all at the same time.

Distressed clothing is by no means new. In fact, the distressed look often coincides with recessions. See the ripped and destroyed punk style in the ’70s, or the downbeat grunge of the ’90s. Helmut Lang pioneered the designer distressed look in this decade. He sent ‘painter’ jeans down the catwalk in 1998, splattered with spots of emulsion.

Notably, the age of luxury consumers is getting younger. A Bain & Company report released this month found that the Gen Z and millennial demographics were driving luxury in 2022, a sector that is forecast to grow by 21% in 2022. This demographic will probably appreciate Balenciaga’s meme-worthy irony.