The Crisp Of Greatness: How The Humble Packet Became Chic
No longer a meal deal afterthought, the preserve of school lunchboxes or a pub snack, crisps are now the crossover star of the culinary and fashion worlds alike.
Who’d have thought that a sub-£1 bag of crisps would become the most inspirational item of the season? But here we are, coveting Balenciaga’s sold-out £1,400 ‘Chips Bag’, originally available in three colours, or should I say flavours: Spicy Chili, Salt and Vinegar and Cheese & Onion. Any guesses as to creative director Demna’s favourite? Now sold out, it's retailing at Vestiaire Collective for no less than more than £4,000.
Also this month, journalist Natalie Whittle releases Crunch: An Ode to Crisps, a love letter to the salty treats that traces their evolution – spanning the simplicity of salt sachets in the early 20th century, 1980s childhood favourites Hula Hoops and the rise of ‘hand-cooked’ gourmet varieties.
Anya Hindmarch has long been fashion’s biggest crisp champion. In 2013, she set about creating a hyper-real clutch, using 3D scanners to make a bag remarkably similar to an actual packet of crisps. ‘We use seven moulds to make each one, and it is designed to sit ergonomically in the hand. It really is a small piece of wear-able art,’ Hindmarch says. This wasn’t her first time pulling inspiration from the snack. In 2000, she created a sequin version of a Walkers bag, a piece that is now a part of the V&A’s permanent collection. ‘[It’s] about taking the everyday and making it extraordinary,’ she adds.
Crisps are enjoying a new popularity within the culinary world, too. Alison Roman, the popular American food writer, advises placing an anchovy and a splash of hot sauce on a simple crisp as a dinner appetiser; Julie’s in Notting Hill (where Kate Moss has held birth-day parties) pairs them with tuna tartare; and the fashion crowd’s favourite east-London wine bar Hector’s serves San Carlo crisps alongside lashings of its 24-month Serrano ham.
And who can forget Ayo Edebiri’s chip omelette from series two of The Bear? For an autumnal spin, try the crisp toppers on beef tartare at the Harcourt Arms in Oxfordshire.
Like all good fashion pieces, it’s always about how you wear (or in this case, eat) them. Prepare for greasy fingers.
And for those looking to amplify their love of crisps further, then why not match them to your new-season ensembles? Here's ELLE's favourite combinations of note.
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