Fast food fashion

How I love covering McDonald’s launches — because these are an excuse for me to wear my “McDo” couture: A red shirt from Moschino’s Fall 2014 Ready-to-Wear collection by then creative director Jeremy Scott.

The collection, also fondly called “McMoschino,” was described by Vogue as a “mutant hybrid of Ronald McDonald and Coco Chanel,” featuring Scott’s signature playful take on pop culture logos, this time, with the fast food chain’s trademark golden arches and red and yellow colors.

I have seen one of McDonald’s (former?) endorsers, Vice Ganda, also wear a “McMoschino” shirt in It’s Showtime, years before the TV host was made the fast food chain’s brand ambassador. For recently making a joke about former President Rodrigo Duterte, Vice Ganda was canceled by Duterte’s supporters, and in effect, reportedly also as an endorser of the fast food chain.

Heart Evangelista allegedly replaced Vice Ganda, although this was not confirmed by the fast food company.

At Heart’s official launch as endorser last week, she said it had been her childhood “dream come true” to join the global brand as the face for its rewards app, which the brand claimed to be the first fully-digital fast food program in the Philippines.

“I grew up with Happy Meal and (the fast food chain) is really my pit stop,” Heart shared. “So, I’m just so happy and it all makes sense.”

It is obvious that Heart has gained some meat and muscles, thanks to her “Mcbang” (mukbang) videos and commercial shoot that made her eat the entire day, she said.

But, of course, what is Heart without fashion? So for her official endorsement launch, she wore a custom Cheetah Rivera yellow dress embroidered with patches and beadwork resembling the fast food chain’s products such as French fries, burgers and soda.

“I have another dress for the event,” Heart confessed.

“But I said, it seemed to be lacking something because I’m like that, I want to express myself through my clothes, to translate what I feel,” she said in Filipino. “And the best way to translate my feelings is to put everything that I love in a dress.”

According to her, her outfit was even incomplete because the French fries bag she ordered was unable to make it to the launch.

“Actually, salamat po sa talent fee ko, bumili ako ng bag na French fries. Hindi lang talaga s’ya umabot today (thanks to my talent fee, I bought a French fries bag. It just was unable to make it today). But it could be a nice bag, bejeweled bag,” she announced.

She shared later on to me that the bag that did not make it is a Judith Leiber Fresh Hot French Fries bag, which, according to the brand’s website, is worth $5,995 (over P341,000).

“Savor the fusion of pop art and Americana with our French Fries crystal clutch, where the delectable allure of ‘Fresh and Hot’ is captured in impeccable detail. Embracing whimsy with a touch of nostalgia, this clutch redefines novelty fashion. Meticulously adorned with handset crystals, the iconic red container exudes playful charm,” the Judith Leiber site says of the bag.

The Judith Leiber French Fries clutch comes in other variations — such as Truffle Fries and Rainbow — and these also retail at $5,995.

When eating fries, however, Heart prefers dipping these into ice cream: “Dadagdagan ko pa ng asin! (I even add more salt),” she said.

Earlier at the program, love team BarDa — also new fast food chain endorsers Barbie Forteza and David Licauco – likewise admitted that they love “friescream.”

“Friescream” or fries in ice cream is also my favorite — try truffle fries topped with vanilla ice cream at Potato Corner!

Heart’s fast food chain go-to, however, was not fries, but Happy Meal, professing that growing up, she even used to collect toys. Nowadays, she goes more for chicken nuggets and her “ultimate favorite,” Fillet O’ Fish, for which she has an “art” for eating.

“Maarte lang ako pero mabuti akong tao (I might be dramatic but I’m a good person),” she swore.

If Heart would have her own Happy Meal, she said she would call it “Hearty Meal” and it would contain heart-shaped chicken nuggets, triple-cheese burger, Twister fries, McFlurry with extra Oreos and Coke Zero with cherry.

“And then the box itself turns into a bag!” she exclaimed.

She said she is willing to collaborate with the fast food chain not only for a Happy Meal, but also for merchandise or should it decide to have another fashion collection like “McMoschino.”

She shared that she also used to practice with the fast food chain’s trays as a waitress in their family restaurant.

The best part of ordering from the fast food chain, she said, is that through the new rewards app, she could share her points with her new “glam team,” with whom she enjoys drive-thru meals especially in between gigs at fashion weeks abroad. Heart stressed that she values “loyalty.”

It can be recalled Heart had a falling out with her former glam team, which then turned to work with Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach, and this allegedly ignited the assumed rivalry between the two stars. Pia used to be an endorser for the rival fast food chain. Now that is a subject for another column! Stay tuned!