So I may be a style penguin, but I’m no snob when it comes to fashion.  You know I’ve got my eye on fast fashion, and I pop my beak into the occasional discount store too… scoping out what trends have trickled down into mass market fashion, and seeing how they’ve turned out after the long game of design ‘telephone’.

So this past week i took a spin through the local mall and found myself in Old Navy.  If I’m being honest (and I almost always am) I saw nothing of real interest to me. However, please take note of the shirt they were displaying in great prominence at the front of the store.

I love boys THAT recycle? Really?

Now I applaud their efforts on the environmental front… coming straight out and professing their “love for boys that recycle”. However, does Old Navy also love boys who never passed the 4th Grade?  The word that refers to inanimate objects… not even dogs and cats are referred to using the word that - animals are living beings.  Attention Old Navy… you love boys WHO recycle! Isn’t it enough that your clothes have a tendency to make middle Americans look unattractive? Do you have to make them look stupid too?

And while we’re at it… here is a picture of the man WHO was standing in my shot as I was trying to snap the ebonics shirt.

And this man is married....

Now I’m dropping the Old Navy bashing here, as I have no proof that this man’s ensemble was purchased at the store…. but I can tell you that whenever he purchased it, his arms must have been 4 inches shorter, and the same goes for his torso. This is not a fashionable, 3/4 length sleeve shirt folks.  This man washes and dries on high heat and doesn’t care what he looks like when he leaves the house.  That said, he was there with his wife and kids.  My point? Ladies, do everyone a favor… don’t let your man leave the house looking like this.

Oh, he moved too fast for me to get a shot of his feet – but he was wearing Birkenstocks. With socks.

Famed london-based shoe and handbag designer Jimmy Choo, whose Crocodile Ramona Bag sells for $14,000, is now collaborating with fast fashion retailer H&M, whose product mix makes it difficult to assemble an entire outfit for over $100.

Jimmy Choo for H&M

Fast Fashion seems to be getting a face lift recently, as couture designers continue stepping in to design for the $0.99 cent stores.  With the economy in a Kansas twister, the trend towards “fast fashion” that’s been growing over the past few years has reached an all time high.  Not only has that meant our malls filling up with the likes of Forever 21, H&M, Heritage 1981, Zara, etc… but the customers strong response to the value pricing at these retailers has made top couture and fashion designers snap to attention.  These discount manufacturers/retailers came on the scene as a copycat operation, taking successful stylings from top boutique brands and knocking them off in droves.  Now, the same fashionisto designers who once complained about the imitation are signing up to collaborate and mass produce their new creations.  H&M has already done successful co-branding projects with Karl Lagerfeld, Roberto Cavalli, Viktor & Rolf, and Matthew Williamson.

Love it or hate it, I think this movement toward guest designers for value brands and retailers is here to stay, at least for awhile.