Interested in purchasing a Gucci shirt or Nike sweater with a stain on it? No, we’re not talking about when you find the perfect shirt on the vintage shop, only to turn it over and notice a big stain on the back. Ontario ketchup brand Heinz collaborated with secondhand clothing site thredUP on a collection of designer clothing that comes with ketchup stains on each item.
And if you think that sounds weird, you might be surprised to hear that the whole collection (that’s 157 items!) sold out in less than a day after it was released on Aug. 30. Dubbed the Heinz Vintage Drip Collection, the goal is to remind shoppers that “every piece of clothing deserves a second life – even summer barbeque casualties,” according to vice president of integrated marketing at thredUP, Erin Wallace.
The collaboration took streetwear and designer pieces from the resale platform and added ketchup stains to each – and not exactly in hard-to-spot areas. The stain on this Adidas sweater was placed right beside the logo, so it’s impossible to miss!
Apparently ketchup is the trend of the season, with ketchup-flavoured soft serve ice cream becoming the big seller at the CNE this month.
“This collection offers a unique way for fashion risk-takers and food lovers alike to participate in the circular economy, while doing good for people and the planet,” Wallace said in a statement.
Perhaps the collection will inspire people to sport their own (homemade) food stains instead of throwing out their shirts. But we’ll hazard a guess that it’s more likely to inspire people to see the collection as the newest brand name they have to have, if the rapid sales are any indication.
This collection may have sold out, but a second one is set to be released with more one-of-a-kind items on Sept. 13.
At least the stains are for a good cause – 100 per cent of proceeds from the collection are going toward international hunger relief non-profit organization Rise Against Hunger.
