The wacky phone case made its catwalk debut at Jeremy Scott’s inaugural show for Moschino autumn/winter 2014. In keeping with the rest of the collection – kitsch, colourful, cute – it was shaped to resemble a packet of French fries.

Such accessories have long been a style in-joke, carried with self-conscious abandon by fashion editors and pop stars alike. Giovanna Battaglia, senior fashion editor of Vogue Japan and W magazine contributing fashion editor, has her own phone cover line in collaboration with Case Scenario. Victoire de Castellane, designer for Dior Haute Joaillerie, has long indulged an affection for kawaii (the fetish for “adorableness” that underscores Japanese pop culture) by carrying a series of Rilakkuma teddy-bear cases. Lily Allen pimps her phone cover with sticky-backed jewels she sources online. But Moschino was a tipping point, legitimising kitsch phone covers on the catwalk.

While it may have been overlooked at first – seen as a joke too far by many – the French Fries phone cover is doing serious business. Department store Selfridges has had to reorder the style three times to meet demand. At Net-a-Porter, sales of this and other Moschino cases (melting lollipop on a stick, anyone?) have been “insane”, says Sasha Sarokin, the online retailer’s buying manager.