Where does KFC’s ARIES tie-in rank among the unexpected brand collaborations?
In a celebration of Britain’s love for comfort food and cutting-edge style, KFC has teamed up with cult clothing brand ARIES. But how does it compare to past peculiar product promotions?
KFC, yep KFC, has teamed up with hip clothing brand ARIES to release a limited-edition, ten-piece capsule that blurs the boundaries of fashion and indulgence. Available from 4 June 2025 at ariesarise.com, the irreverent collaboration transforms KFC’s iconic gravy into a must-have clothing line.
While the collaboration might seem a bit apropos of nothing to most readers, this unique blending of punk luxury with tongue-in-cheek opulence is, when you think about it, very now.
In a postmodern era where boundaries are intentionally blurred, the youth market sees no contradiction in their consumption of budget-conscious fried chicken and luxury apparel. Indeed, they seek to elevate the former to the heady heights it (in their mind) deserves.
A peculiar partnership
Priced from £12 to £1,400, the ‘Gravy Drip’ collection is billed as a ‘love letter’ to KFC’s ‘liquid gold’ gravy, infused with ARIES’ signature blend of classical art and streetwear swagger.
The standout piece is a £1,400 distressed leather jacket in deep gravy brown, adorned with a Renaissance-inspired back panel depicting celestial figures presenting chicken drumsticks as sacred offerings.
The accompanying high-fashion photoshoot adds to the faux-glamour. Shot by renowned photographer Douglas Irvine, whose work has graced campaigns for Chloé and Miu Miu, the campaign evokes Caravaggio-esque opulence with a surreal twist, ie family buckets replacing fruit bowls in a Roman feast.
Courtesy of KFC
Courtesy of KFC
Courtesy of KFCChickenny collabs
This collaboration builds on KFC’s recent forays into fashion, following a viral moment at Sinead Gorey’s London Fashion Week runway, where models strutted with chicken in hand, and partnerships with brands like Loungefly and Hype.
KFC, then, is no newbie to fashion tie-ins. Indeed, in 2020, the brand teamed up with Crocs to launch a limited-edition clog designed to resemble a bucket of fried chicken, complete with a drumstick charm and, yes, a ‘fried chicken scent’.
Unexpected collaborations
Whether you baulk at the incongruity or embrace the mixed-up mayhem, there’s a curious history of out there brand tie-ins.
In 2021, Tinder partnered with two food delivery companies in the UK to help daters have a positive Valentine’s Day experience if they’re celebrating by themselves. The first collaboration with Deliveroo offered a unique way to find new potential matches. 30 profile pictures from real Tinder users have been printed on 1,000 takeaway boxes from the popular chicken restaurant Wingstop.
Then there’s 2020’s baffling partnership between snack brand Oreo and streetwear giant Supreme for a limited-edition red Oreo cookie featuring the Supreme logo. The cookies, sold in packs of three for $8, resold for hundreds on eBay, with X users hyping the unexpected blend of snack food and hypebeast culture.
Back in 2018, meanwhile, Cadbury and Hellmann’s sparked controversy with a fictional “Creme Egg Mayo” product, blending the sweet chocolate egg with savoury mayonnaise. Announced around Easter, the campaign was a prank but generated massive buzz on social media, with brands like Greggs and Tesco joining the conversation.
2020 saw Lego partner with Levi’s to create a clothing collection featuring customizable denim jackets with Lego-compatible baseplates. Customers could attach Lego pieces to design their own patterns, blending fashion with playful creativity. The campaign, promoted heavily on social media, targeted nostalgic adults and sparked buzz for its innovative fusion of toys and apparel.
And finally, who could forget luxury fashion house Balenciaga’s collaboration with Lay’s to create a $1,800 leather clutch resembling a crumpled potato chip bag, complete with Lay’s branding?
Unveiled at Paris Fashion Week, the high-low collaboration sparked viral debates about consumerism and luxury.
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