From the Plastic Straw Void Comes $300 Luxury Versions

Misty White Sidell

Updated Thu, August 16, 2018 at 4:08 AM UTC

Behold the $300 straw.

Seizing on the plastic straw ban, which have been widely declared an environmental nuisance, fashion firms are stepping up to offer fancy versions of metal straws — some painted with colorful stripes, others dipped in gold. Already two jewelry companies are leveraging their expertise in precious metals to create straws that enable them to “join the conversation.”

Tiffany & Co. introduced one in the fall as part of its Everyday Objects collection of home items designed by Reed Krakoff. Curlicue like a piglet’s tail, it comes in yellow and rose gold vermeil as well as pure sterling silver, priced between $250 and $350.

“As plastic waste continues to pose a serious threat to our oceans, we’re proud to offer these enduring and finely crafted precious metal straws as an ocean-friendly alternative for sipping in style,” Tiffany’s chief sustainability officer Anisa Kamadoli Costa told WWD.

Some Reddit commenters wondered if the Tiffany design signaled a larger cultural shift. “Should the term change to ‘born with a silver straw in his mouth’?” pondered Grafter8.

This week, men’s jewelry brand Miansai joined the movement. The company launched artisanal straws, fabricated of brass or copper that sell for about $100 for a set of four. As a premium option, Miansai has launched pure sterling silver straws enameled with colored stripes — priced at $100 each or $325 for a set of four.

“After living in Miami where there is so much pollution and plastic on the beach, we wanted join the straw-ban conversation,” said Miansai founder and creative director Michael Saiger. (San Francisco and Starbucks have also made plastic tubes disappear.)

Saiger noted the reaction to the straws is so positive that the company is mulling solid gold straws, which would cost upward of $1,000 per set.

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From the Plastic Straw Void Comes $300 Luxury Versions

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