Update: McDonald's is looking into upping wages for low-paid staff. According to the BBC, McDonald's is aware that public attention on low wages 'may intensify' this year, and that this could result in them putting their wages up. In December, fast food workers from many outlets, including McDonald's held strikes in 100 US cities over their pay, demanding that they be paid $15 (£8.99) an hour.
There was something always a bit cheeky about the McDonald’s-themed Moschino Paris Fashion Week show. Not only were the colours loud enough to hear from The Debrief’s London HQ, and not because the brand has turned lowbrow kitsch into haute couture (that happens all the time). The truly irreverent thing Jeremy Scott did in his debut show for the Italian brand was turn fast food into something aspirational. Greasy, slobby cartons of pre-formed dinners are now in, in a world where, previously, burgers had literally been reduced to canapé status.
One person hasn’t seen the funny side in the golden arches-embossed designs, though, insisting that the outfits – costing up to $1265 (£760) for a red quilted leather bag, or $350 (£210) for a t-shirt – are offensive to the people who have to live the reality of working for minimum wage in one of McDonald’s 34,492 branches.
Mia Brusendorff, who used to work for McDonald’s in Indiana, said: 'On knowing how it is to work at McDonald's, there is nothing fashionable about it. Knowing someone will pay $1,000 (£600) for clothing inspired by McDonald's workers who earn minimum wage is a mockery.’*
Another anonymous McDonald’s worker from New York complained that, while, for her, the McDonald’s uniform symbolises a ‘struggle to make ends meet,', it shouldn’t be used as inspiration for couture. She told MailOnline: 'I know the poor environment a minimum wage employee works in and for people working in the highly-paid fashion world to think it's "trendy" to wear clothes inspired by the uniforms we put on every day to feed our kids, or to buy a designer bag, that is a parody of the meals we serve to earn enough money just to pay our bills; well, it just makes me sad,' she's said. 'I couldn't buy one of these Moschino purses even if I wanted to.'
There’s been no comment from Jeremy Scott or Moschino, and word is still out on what actual McDonald’s have to say about the range. Maybe they've got bigger filet-o-fish to fry?
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Picture: Getty
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.