It used to be a band T-shirt that signaled your taste. Now, it’s your grocery bag. Food brands have become fashion brands, with cult-favorite pantry staples showing up on hats, hoodies, and reusable totes. It’s become a way for shoppers to broadcast not just what they like to eat, but the values and aesthetics they identify with.
Whole Foods Market is the latest company to lean into the trend.
On July 29, the grocer is launching its first-ever co-branded merchandise collab: a limited-edition collection of regenerative cotton tote bags with tinned seafood darling Fishwife. Available in large, small, and micro sizes, the bags will be sold at select Whole Foods Market stores nationwide while supplies last.
The collaboration brings to life what Whole Foods calls “Kitchen Couture,” one of the biggest trends identified in its 2026 Trends Report. The idea? The products once tucked away in your pantry have become part of your personal style.
Why Fishwife was Whole Foods’ first merch partner
For Whole Foods, Fishwife wasn’t just a buzzy brand—it was a seamless fit.
“Fishwife was a natural first choice because of our shared commitment to sustainable sourcing and high-quality products,” Megan Causgrove, Lifestyle and Whole Body Merchandising Manager at Whole Foods Market, tells Good Housekeeping.
She says both companies have helped reshape their respective categories.
“In six short years, Fishwife has completely reimagined the tinned seafood category and changed how consumers think about it. They’ve made tinned fish cool. For us, it was leading the organic movement. As a brand that has led the way, that pioneering spirit really resonated with us.”
Fishwife CEO and co-founder Becca Millstein says the partnership was years in the making.
“The Whole Foods Market team has been an unbelievably committed partner and a huge believer in Fishwife since the very beginning,” she says. “We are incredibly honored to be the first brand Whole Foods has ever done a merch collab with.”
Why shoppers are wearing food brands
According to Whole Foods, shoppers are increasingly using food brands to express who they are.
“Food is deeply personal,” Causgrove says. “When someone chooses to shop at Whole Foods Market or buy Fishwife seafood, they’re making a deliberate choice about what matters to them—whether that’s sustainability, quality, or supporting brands with a clear mission. The more intentional consumers are about what they shop, the more those choices become a part of who they are.”
Millstein says Fishwife realized early on that customers wanted more than seafood.
“When we launched, we wanted our visual identity to be super vibrant and graphic,” she says. “The minute we started putting that artwork on T-shirts and hats, they were selling out instantly.”
Seeing people wear Fishwife merchandise “like it’s their favorite indie band’s tour tee,” she says, was a turning point.
“I think younger generations care deeply about where their food comes from, and the aesthetic of what they consume,” Millstein says. “When you wear or carry a food brand’s merch, you’re signaling that you care about high-quality, responsibly sourced ingredients, but also that you appreciate great design. It’s a casual, fun way to express your values and your taste at the same time.”
Yes, there’s a tiny tote
The collection comes in three sizes, including an adorable micro tote—just big enough to hold a can of sardines—that may end up being the star of the drop.
“Who doesn’t love a mini tote?!” Millstein says. “The micro tote is just inherently fun and playful, which is exactly the energy we always want to bring to the table.”
Whole Foods had a similarly practical—and tongue-in-cheek—vision for the smallest bag.
“How can you resist a mini tote perfect for tinned fish and maybe a lemon accoutrement?” Causgrove says.
The bags will be available in a limited nationwide run at select Whole Foods Market stores. And if they prove popular, this may not be the last merch drop from the grocer.
“We believe some of the most interesting opportunities will come from collaborations that connect shared brand values with creativity and cultural relevance,” Causgrove says. “We hope this is just the start and are genuinely excited to see what is possible.”
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