Torn, old or in poor condition clothes for which large sums of money are demanded have become a phenomenon that causes astonishment and indignation. Old jeans that are sold at auctions or broken sneakers that are launched on the market as “exclusive pieces” shock those who wonder why pay unprecedented sums for garments that are ultimately equal to or worse than those that anyone has in their closet and , even, in the “to throw away” list.
Recently, some jeans Levi’s from the 1980s, found full of dust and stains in an abandoned mine, were auctioned off in a town in New Mexico by over $87,000. Their buyers claimed they were “very well preserved” and in “terrific used condition,” but the vintage jean expert Brit Eatonwho found them decided to auction it, stated that in reality “average vintage jeans are worth around 100 dollars” and that the price he paid for the ones found was enormous because “he had no intention of selling it.” And, likewise, he clarified that he did not he was surprised that they sold since, he insists, it is an old piece, from an iconic brand, and that it has a peculiarity: the phrase “The only type made by white labor” is printed on the inside pocket.
“Levi’s is an iconic brand when it comes to jeans, and that one, specifically, has a history. There is always going to be a market interested in that,” he explained to NEWS. Angie Chevallier, fashion designer and former co-founder of Oh Not Dead. A look that goes in line with the idea of the buyers, Kyle Hautner and Zip Stevensonwho said they could offer them to an interested buyer or perhaps put them on display in a museum.
But not everyone in the fashion world thinks the same. “It is surprising that jeans are auctioned at such a high cost, even though they are of good quality. Generally, these garments are of high cost when they belong to a celebrity that is no longer there. In addition, a jean, however resistant it may be, is not something that has a value that can last much longer, unless it is not used. It’s not like a collector’s car or a piece of jewelry that will always hold a value. I think this it was generated by a brilliant mind to make a business out of nowhere”, said the renowned designer Patricia Profumo.
For its part, Benito Fernandez explained, “I think clothes always express what happens to us. In the pandemic, the first thing we did, a month, was chinstraps. Super luxury brands are bringing out ‘broken’ things, more accessible, that can reach more people. There is a problem with luxury, the way of seeing luxury has changed, what did not seem luxurious before, no longer seems luxurious today. It is a way to reach more people and then sell more accessible things”. A way of seeing the designer that changes completely when asked about the sale of broken garments at exorbitant figures. “It’s a marketing thing,” he said.
Chevallier insists that, beyond high-impact marketing, these products (torn garments) arrive at a time when “people want and look for them.” of plastic or patent leather: vintage, what has a history, the basics, today is interesting”, he explained.
But the sale of jeans was not the precursor. One of the most resounding cases of recent times was that of the renowned clothing brand Balenciaga, when put out an eye-catching line of totally destroyed sneakers, offering it in two versions: the limited-edition very broken at $1,850, and broken, but not quite as much, at $625. That is, more broken, more expensive. And it should be noted that these are not “unique pieces” and old, like found and auctioned jeans, but they are a “new line” of “clothes that look old”.
In the face of criticism, at the time, the creative director of Balenciaga, Demna Gvasalia, justified himself by saying that the concept of broken shoes is that “they are destined to be used for a lifetime”. For some, a message in favor of sustainability and responsible consumption. For others, a simple marketing campaign. The truth is that behind them, other big brands like Golden Goose, Gucci or Vetements they rushed to make the idea of selling “stained shoes” a fashion item.
You may also like
Image gallery
