Ever since I can remember, I have always been obsessed with fun bags.  More often than not, I will coordinate my entire outfit for the day based on the bag I intend to wear.  A standout bag can transform an entire outfit from drab to fab, from day to night, and from work to play.You can imagine my delight at finding this season’s bags to be fun, funky, and ferocious.  When models at the Moschino and Anna Hindmarch shows walked down the runway with bags inspired by fast food chains and popular cereal brands, the fashion world was stunned.  Channel channeled the everyday person’s trip to the grocery store by showcasing bags inspired by shopping baskets.  When I think of high end fashion and haute couture, the last McDonalds and Kellogg’s Corn Flakes is the last thing that comes to mind.

Quite frankly, when I saw the price of the McDonalds iPhone cases and clutches, I wondered whether the masses would embrace the look.  Sure enough, many of these items have completely sold out!  What seems like a huge risk for fashion houses actually paid off.

So what was the motivation behind these crazy creations?!?  My theory is simple.  In the past decade, brands have lost touch with the common consumer.  With the rise in popularity of more cost-friendly designers like Zara, H&M, and Forever 21, fewer people are visiting higher end stores for the latest in fashion trends. Brands like Louis Vuitton, Fendi, and Prada have been criticized in the past for being too boring and predictable.  As a result, designers have been forced to come up with something new, exciting, and somewhat “controversial”.  Additionally, cereal brands, grocery carts, cartoons, and fast food chains are recognizable symbols for everyday people.  By releasing designs with logos and images that are globally recognized, designers are reaching out to a foreign consumer base.

This is corporate rebranding at its very best, and I’m lovin it.  Yup, that is the only time I will ever say that. Promise!