Balenciaga has attempted it, Christopher Kane has given it a go, but could it be Love Island that finally resurrects the rubber slider from its fashion victim slumber? Ikenna may be struggling to form connections in the villa, but one relationship firmly ‘married-off’ is the one between his crocs and their charms.
After the first episode of the show aired on Monday evening, UK retailer New Look reported a 500% spike in demand for Croc charms. This came following Ikenna’s introduction, who strode out to greet the girls for the first time wearing a pair of black Crocs, decorated with a splattering of indistinguishable charms.
2.4 million people tuned in to watch the first episode of season 8, so it’s no surprise of the show’s impact on fashion trends. Aware of this and in an attempt to encourage viewers to shop more sustainably, it was announced last week that Love Island would be moving away from fast fashion (the usual choice), and instead partnering with eBay to dress the islanders.
For the past three years, fast fashion company I Saw It First (a company known to sell clothes for under £3) has sponsored Love Island, making the move to second-hand clothes a huge change for the show, as well as potentially having an incredibly positive impact on sustainable fashion.
With the rise of Crocs back on the cards, maybe it’s not only sustainability that will be prioritised in our summer wardrobes, but comfort too - at least, we hope. Already this year, celebrities including Justin Bieber have been spotted donning Crocs on the red carpet; perhaps with the influence of Biebs, plus one of the UK’s most popular shows, it will be a Croc girl summer after all?
Ikenna fully brought crocs to the biggest show in the UK rn #loveisland pic.twitter.com/jTmLAA6qXK
— oxygen (@oxygeninnit) June 6, 2022
