Thursday, October 30, 2008

Rich and Skinny

I've never seen a retailer embrace the notion of lifestyle branding quite like the denim company "Rich and Skinny." The name speaks for itself (the actual jeans on the other hand, I would argue, come in lovely colors but are awful and hardly qualify as "denim"). It's cheeky, sure. Ironic even. The brand name appropriates our collective obsessions, exagerrates them and sells them right back to us. All in good fun - consumer capitalism's self-reflexive and lucrative cultural commentary. Got it.
But then there's the brand's website (linked to post title)... The "Rich and Skinny" ongoing movie invites the viewer to peek in on an ongoing narrative drama, crafted to resemble a reality show (The Hills anyone?). A slew of characters enter the poolside scene, dramatize, and exit, all in denim, all in the name of SoCal-style fashion. I'm not sure what to make of this except that it's sort of nauseating and sort of brilliant. Take a look (pay attention to the background narration as well and make sure to turn the sound on).

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