Spongebob Squarepants lives in a pineapple under the sea. But he also lives rent-free in the minds of today’s trendiest stars— he’s a constant source of online meme humor, and, now, fashion. “Levitating” singer Dua Lipa recently sported a yellow leather mini skirt and jacket from the coveted GCDS x Spongebob Squarepants collaboration, which is part of the brand’s buzzy spring 2023 collection and features the beloved character on the back. The leather-centric look is the perfect mish-mash of two ever-reigning trends right now: motocross and pop culture nostalgia.
This is not the first time Lipa has dived into Bikini Bottom, either. Last year, the singer wore a coral pink crochet slip dress that featured Patrick Star’s face as pasties, another delightfully off-kilter piece from GCDS spring 2023. Creative director Giuliano Calza pulled delightful motifs and themes from the zany world of Spongebob Squarepants to create a cohesive and out-of-the-box offering. It was a viral and critical success, illustrating how pop culture-infused collaborations can go far beyond reworked logos and screenprints. Other must-have collections as of late have employed similar motif-driven approaches, including another TikTok hit, Loewe x Howl’s Moving Castle.
The creative exploration was a shrewd one: Spongebob is forever trendy among a certain set. Just this week, Ice Spice (who achieved fame recently through a song titled “Bikini Bottom”) made waves on social media for jokingly declaring that the Krusty Krab line cook was her first crush.
Two things seem to be true in this world: Spongebob will never pass his driver’s license test and Dua will always deliver It Girl style.
