Would you pay £880 for a pair of sneakers? At the Frieze art fair in London last week, column inches were abuzz with the fact that many art lovers were wearing trainers by Chanel, in tweed and calfskin, for £705, and Celine’s lambskin sneakers, £700. To cater for this trend there is even a ‘Sneaker Concept’ floor at Harvey Nichols, where £880 plimsolls, by Buscemi, have sold out.
Of course they have, given it’s now acceptable to wear sneakers on the red carpet, and even if you’re getting married. I went to a wedding not long ago where the fashion stylist bride wore McQueen high tops, £560 from Net-a-Porter: the best man’s speech made reference to the fact their vows should have read: ‘For richer, for Net-a-Poorer.’
So, what happened to jeans (Victoria Beckham flares: £310) and tracksuit bottoms (Moncler: £175) has infected the formerly humble, smelly sports shoe (I refuse to call them trainers: what is Tracey Emin, who wore Asics at Frieze, in training for?).