Vetements Shills $770 Cigarette Case
PUNK’D BY DEMNA?: How much are you willing to splurge for a designer logo-stamped product?
It’s the question Vetements’ designer Demna Gvasalia seems to be asking with his label’s $770 cigarette case made from “galvanized brass.”
The item — which measures three-and-a-half by two-and-a-quarter inches and comes in silver or gold brass — is sleek in design with a snap closure and a subtle, engraved logo at the base. It’s been stocked at Luisaviaroma, The Webster, Nordstrom, La Garçonne, FWRD by Elyse Walker and other retailers. As of this writing, the case is sold out at nordstrom.com and luisaviaroma.com, and La Garçonne has sold out of the gold version.
In its product description, fwrd.com issues a caveat that any imperfections or unique markings on the case are due to galvanization, a process which prevents rusting, and should not be seen as flaws. (Brass, a copper and zinc alloy, is often used as an alternative to gold because of its resemblance.)
WWD found galvanized brass cigarette holders around the web — without the engraved Vetements logo — as low as $25.
In addition, Vetements has also released a brass lighter cover for $345 and a brass grinder (the latter a tool used to shred marijuana, for the uninitiated). The weed grinder comes attached to a necklace for $750 and is sold at The Webster and Maxfield in Los Angeles.
The Vetements’ items have already been given the meme treatment by Instagram user @youvegotnomale, aka Sebastian Tribbie, who has upward of 24,800 followers. On Nov. 20, Tribbie posted a screenshot of the Vetements lighter cover and cigarette case with a caption that read: “This has to be a joke.” (The 850-plus users who ‘liked’ the photo might share the sentiment.)
The pricing, which might seem extravagant, should ultimately come as no surprise; Vetements’ luxe smoking accessories are priced appropriately within the realm of its product offering. Case in point: A Vetements cotton jersey T-shirt with Snoop Dogg’s face on it retails on fwrd.com for $920; elsewhere, a T-shirt that says “You f–k’n a–hole” on it, sets one back $980. (Vetements’ cult tube socks, meanwhile, seem relatively cheap in comparison at $95.)
A rep for the brand could not immediately be reached for comment.
Vetements is not the only luxury brand with splurge-worthy knickknacks on deck. Under the “gifts” category on its web site, Gucci is selling a rhinestone tiger key chain for $550. Prada’s holiday “trick” charms, which are meant to adorn handbags or key rings, sell for $480.
Oddly, the Vetements’ cigarette case and weed grinder necklace didn’t make Gwyneth Paltrow’s infamous Goop gift guide, which proposes a $2,500 “collector’s edition” razor and $120 toothpaste, among other things.
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