Finnish fashion label Vain has collaborated with McDonald’s to upcycle the fast food chain’s staff uniforms to an exclusive, stylish fashion collection. 

Inspired by McDonald’s “cultural omnipresence”, the collection features 13 looks and 27 pieces almost entirely crafted from the brand’s used workwear. Vain described the collaboration seem like a rather unconventional combination, “the project ended up feeling very natural from a creative point of view”. 

The collection maintains the visual identity of both brands while making subtle references to McDonald’s prominence in popular culture.

“The work uniforms include familiar colours, patterns, and details that everybody can recognise,” said Roope Reinola, co-founder and CEO at Vain. “Being playful with the silhouettes has been pleasant as the McDonald’s brand attributes come along.”

As part of the launch, the ready-to-wear collection was showcased inside a McDonald’s restaurant in Helsinki, Finland. 

“When I was first presented with the idea of a McDonald’s workwear fashion project I was immediately intrigued,” said Jimi Vain, creative director and designer at Vain.

“Growing up in a very rural part of Finland, there weren’t really any dedicated spaces for us to hang out as teenagers. The local McDonald’s sort of fulfilled that function for us. It was accessible to anyone and was a familiar vibe. Also, it was the closest we could get to global pop culture out there in the north. We spent many evenings, and made many memories, hanging around the local McDonald’s in our teens.”

The collection with Vain is not the first McDonald’s collaboration with a fashion label. In 2020, McDonald’s introduced a swimwear range made from plastic straws in Austria designed by Viennese label Poleit and Studio Furore, followed by a ‘Sauce Pack’ sneaker collection in India with Adidas.

Further reading: Why and how retailers turn everyday items into ‘must-have’ collectibles