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Limited-edition drop collections and special collaborations is what streetwear brands have always relied on to hold attention of their loyal consumers. This incredibly successful model has now been adopted by fast food companies as well. These streetwear x food collaborations and fast food inspired streetwear represent the next stage of this long-standing trend offering a combination that speaks to your tastes on multiple levels.

KFC, purveyor of world-famous fried chicken, is known for creating a wide range of unconventional collaborations. Back in 2020, the brand teamed up with Crocs, the creators of the world’s famous comfortable shoes, to introduce limited edition The Kentucky Fried Chicken x Crocs Clogs for New York Fashion Week.

The two brands partnered to create two versions of the limited-edition footwear design. The first, Kentucky Fried Chicken X Crocs Bucket Clog, takes the form of a towering platform style avant-garde version worn by artist Me Love Me a Lot (MLMA) during NYFW events. The second, Kentucky Fried Chicken X Crocs Classic Clog is a classic clog version.

Both  boast an all-over fried chicken pattern and include stripes across the bottom portion of the shoes to pay tribute to the pattern of the chain’s iconic red and white striped bucket. The clog also comes with two removable, chicken-scented Jibbitz charms that look like a fried chicken drumstick.

In honor of the partnership, for every pair sold, KFC donated $3 to the KFC Foundation’s Reach Educational Grant Program, which helps employees at participating KFC US restaurants further their education through college scholarships.

Earlier, the brand collaborated with  Saint Petersburg-based streetwear brand Mam Cupy to launch limited-edition hat design (see header image) that can be used to hold crispy pieces of chicken when it is turned upside-down.

The bucket hat boasts white and red stripes and an upside-down logo depicting Colonel Sanders. The campaign video showed how the statement piece doubles as a functional streetwear accessory to keep rays of sun off the face and an iconic fried chicken-holding bucket.

McDonald’s has gone further to capture consumer attention, teamed up with high-end fashion designer Alexander Wang for a limited-edition range of chic lunch bags, and elevated packaging. Available only in China, the  ‘Black x Golden’ collection featured 300 units of black rattan picnic baskets and 30,000 paper lunch bags that quoted McDonald’s aesthetic, all of which were sold out in just 10 minutes.

Coined the AW Golden Picnic Basket, the first handbag in this collection looks like an all-black hamper lined with sheepskin and Lugano leather. The bag is decorated with the classic Alexander Wang ‘A’ in sliver and has a McDonald’s co-brand leather tag on the handle.

For the second of the two, Wang took the silhouette of the classic brown paper takeaway bag and turned it into an inconspicuous clutch bag. The AW Golden Lunch Bag is made out of the heavy-duty Tyvek® Paper and sports the classic Alexander Wang branding in white, in the middle of the bag.

To promote the release of its limited edition Spicy Chicken McNuggets, or ‘Schnuggs,’ the UK brand of the fast-food giant ‘launched’ a fake fashion collaboration for Spicy X Chicken McNuggets. While McDonald’s has introduced fashion collaborations in the past, this youth-targeted campaign specifically uses interactive tools like Snapchat’s Spicy Chicken McNugget Face Lens, as well as GIFs and stickers to create curiosity ahead of the official launch among the Gen Z.

Inspired by the hype that ordinarily surrounds a drop from cult streetwear brands, and led by an amusing video, the campaign introduces Schnuggs, a spoof hype brand offering an offbeat collection of items, to celebrate the fast food chain’s hottest new product on the menu.

The combination of this affinity driving content targeted at the 16-24-year-old target market is supported by the Snapchat assets. Spicy Chicken McNugget Face Lens allows users to turn their face into a fire breathing Spicy Chicken McNugget, while Snapchat Marker Tech, one of the latest innovations in augmented reality, brings the OOH posters to life through the platform.