Birkenstock doesn't need Supreme

Supreme might have a constant line outside of its doors—actually and figuratively—but there's one brand that doesn't care about the hype: Birkenstock. According to The Cut, Birkenstock has turned down collaborations with Supreme and Vetements, two of the driving forces behind the aggressively popular street style looks as of late. Why? Well, it doesn't need them.

Birkenstock has always been about functionality, far before it ever became a fashion statement. Even the thought of that—Birks as a fashion statement—feels far too fleeting for a brand that holds so tightly to its emphasis on quality and longevity. And while fashion might not be the most important factor, the brand is very well known for that exact reason. In 2012, Céline put a tricked-out black pair on the runway; in 2017 it opened a pop-up shop with Barneys; in the spring, it launched a collaboration with Rick Owens. Still, the fashion spots were never the goal.

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It's a rip off: How bootleg logos are a fashion must-have

Forget cocktail dresses and crocodile “It bags” – among key style trends now are T-shirts that wouldn’t look out of place on a market stall.

Earlier this month the buzzy catwalk brand Balenciaga released its spring/summer advertising campaign. The key reference point? Not the rarified inspiration that could be expected for such a storied fashion house but a humble carrier bag for German supermarket chain Edeka. The yellow and blue colours of the store’s branding was reworked with the phrase “The Power of Dreams” and a Balenciaga logo.

This is just the latest example of the trend for fashion labels to use existing branding in their designs to make something that has the look of a bootleg. Balenciaga designer Demna Gvasalia has advocated this idea, first with his own brand Vetements. The label produced a much-discussed T-shirt in 2016 with the DHL logo on it which sold for £185. Gvasalia followed it up this year with a $2,150 (£1,606) bag for Balenciaga that looked remarkably like Ikea’s 50p Frakta bag.

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