Bitcoin has been popping up in the unlikeliest of places recently, from Kentucky Fried Chicken to the catwalk. In an era in which everything is placed on the blockchain and “blockchain” is being placed in front of everything, it was inevitable that the crypto craze would be picked up by fashionistas sooner or later. Bitcoin has long since made the mainstream, but this is believed to be the first time it’s made the catwalk.
Fashion designers are notorious for tapping into whatever trends are en vogue, often commandeering movements and themes with little sensitivity or understanding of the underlying issues. Not that it’s necessary to comprehend distributed ledger technology to slap a bitcoin logo on a silk shirt of course; all that’s required is for a certain motif to be hot, and right now bitcoin ticks all the right boxes.
Ariel and Shimon Ovadia’s coda to NYFW saw them draw their inspiration from punk, Silicon Valley, and crypto. A collection of 35 men’s pieces was showcased, with the highlight – for bitcoiners at least – being a natty green shirt paired with a faux sailor’s cap. “Bitcoin accepted – No cash” ran the slogan on the side of the shirt. Judging by the haunted look in the model’s eyes as he traipsed down the catwalk, he was holding some very heavy crypto bags.