Bernie Sanders: fashion icon?
French fashion house Balenciaga made the former Democratic Presidential candidate their muse for their fall Paris Fashion Week collection, sending models down the runway decked out in Bernie-inspired campaign attire, and even the Vermont Senator’s signature white orthopedic sneakers.
Balenciaga’s head designer, Demna Gvasalia, was clear that his seasonal menswear looks were a nod to the self-described socialist, and nearly every outfit featured Bernie’s signature red-and-white logo updated to say “Balenciaga” instead.
Balenciaga's Fall 2017 Menswear Show Was Inspired by Bernie Sanders' Campaign Logo https://t.co/VjOnKwAvEy pic.twitter.com/qlKSdsHvrM
— Eric Leroy (@EricLeroyPJC) February 5, 2017
Bernie isn’t known for being a great dresser, preferring ill-fitting suits, loose ties, corduroy pants and puffer vests to the tailored look more common in politics. But it’s clear Balenciaga, which counts among its A-list fans everyone from Gwyneth Paltrow to Beyonce, must have seen something in the Senator’s folksy style.
Included in the “Bernie line” are huge, quilted campaign flag scarves, Balenciaga campaign tee shirts, Vermont’s de rigeur flannel shirts, embroidered satin bomber jackets, baggy khaki slacks and perfectly polished white tennis shoes.
Sanders, speaking to CNN‘s Jake Tapper, says he can’t figure it all out — and that he’s an unwilling fashion icon. ” I think that of my many attributes, being a great dresser or fashion maven is not one of them,” he said.
Similarities to Bernie Sanders’s campaign, though, end at the iconic logo. Balenciaga isn’t exactly priced for the 99%. Printed cotton tee shirts from previous pret-a-porter collections run anywhere from $350 to $550 (but you do get free shipping).
And lest he think he’s Balenciaga’s only muse, of course, the same fashion house sent shockingly familiar embroidered hats down the runway in its spring/summer menswear show just a few months ago.
