Nothing makes me happier than seeing the combination of my two favorite things: food and fashion! This mix has been abundant lately, especially in recent campaigns and photoshoots. Let’s take a deep dive and explore why this has been a recurring theme in the fashion world.
The surge of the combination of food and fashion helps create buzz around products. Upon initial viewing, one may deem it an unexpected duo. Why would you use a pepper as a hair roller? However, there are several reasons why this new coupling is so prevalent right now. Food in a fashion shoot is attention-grabbing because, at first, it seems so random. But there is something very satisfying when the color of a shoe is exactly the same as the cherry it is placed next to. Visual appeal is one primary factor when combining the two. But the other big reason food and fashion are united so often is that they have much more in common than we may think. Food and fashion are deeply rooted in personal identity; What we eat and wear are choices we make daily, reflecting who we are and representing our different social preferences. When a brand deliberately chooses to incorporate a specific food in its creative direction or campaign, depth and meaning are added to the content because foods are rooted in their rich histories and multiplicity of cultural meanings.
A Deeper Look into the Brands Eating Up This Trend! → Food in Marketing Campaigns
Rhode
When I think about the intersection of food and consumer branding, Rhode, Hailey Bieber’s beauty line, is the first that comes to mind. I love how the brand uses food-inspired names and imagery to evoke an emotional connection and sensory imagination. Since Rhode isn’t sold at retailers like Sephora, consumers can’t engage with their products in person – unless you make it to one of their infamous pop-ups. Despite this barrier to engagement, the brand leverages universally familiar foods to bridge that gap. Take the campaigns for the Pocket Blush in Toasted Teddy or the Glazing Milk, for example; using toasted marshmallows and pancakes in their assets evokes a sensory experience through our screens. These food choices deliberately stimulate an emotional connection for consumers through their taste, texture, and smell. Although it’s hard to imagine how a blush or lip gloss shade will look on your skin through a screen, everyone can imagine tasting the crispy outer layer, the warm, sweet center of a toasted marshmallow, and the smell of coffee grounds. I have fallen victim to this innovative marketing technique as I own their Pocket Blush, Glazing Milk, and Lip Peptide Treatment.
Jacquemus
Jacquemus is no stranger to turning everyday objects into high-fashion statements, and their recent Galeries Lafayette pop-up was no exception. The brand sent out toast-shaped invitations- a whimsical nod to food that set the tone for the immersive experience inside. A giant version of their iconic Bambino bag dominated the storefront window, while an oversized toaster with slices of toast jutting out created a playful, surreal backdrop. On the menswear side, a hyper-stylized laundromat completed the scene. While these installations were visually striking, they also served a deeper purpose: expanding access to the Jacquemus world. Not everyone can afford a luxury handbag, but by transforming something as familiar and comforting as toast into a design moment, Jacquemus makes their brand feel approachable, even democratic. The use of food–universal, nostalgic, and deeply sensory–becomes a clever tool for emotional branding. It invites passersby not just to look, but to feel something, to associate the warmth of toast with the warmth of Jacquemus. In this way, the brand cleverly blends fashion and food to generate buzz, foster connection, and solidify its place in pop culture.
Food is a luxury that feels far more attainable than a designer handbag or couture dress- and that’s exactly why blending food and fashion in marketing is so effective. By pairing the two in campaigns, photoshoots, and events, brands create a sense of relatability. Food is familiar, emotional, and universally understood, so when it’s swapped in for fashion- toast instead of a clutch, a cake in place of a shoe- it softens the exclusivity often tied to high-end labels.
