There was a time, not too long ago, when a purse shaped like a baguette felt like a thrilling — even subversive — novelty. Now, we hardly bat an eye when we see that Moschino has made a trompe l’oeil celery purse , or that Big Bud Press is making a hot-dog-and-pretzel-print jumpsuit in collaboration with a Los Angeles bar. How did we get here? And has it all become a little too much?

Fashion has long found inspiration from the culinary world , but the influx of food-fueled prints, graphics, and trompe l’oeil accessories that picked up steam during the pandemic have now reached a cultural tipping point.

Today, there are truly countless examples of these food motifs and edible, wearable trompe l’oeil creations, at all price points. Loewe’s summer collection featured a $4,150 lambskin tomato clutch, while Walmart’s included a line of rotisserie chicken bag-like purses and charms starting at $5.97. As with many trends, this trajectory started in high fashion and worked its way down to mass-market ubiquity.…