Under the leadership of Creative Director Demna, Balenciaga has consistently been a label that has made us question what we do and don't consider fashion. From platform Crocs to Fortnite graphic tees, Demna's Balenciaga has thrived on this tension between what can be considered low and high brow, blurring the line between the two and challenging our preconceived notions of what constitutes luxury. All that being said, can they still convince consumers to buy a trash bag?
Taken from Demna's Fall 2022 show, Balenciaga's latest bag looks quite literally like a plastic garbage bag. Made from a calfskin leather with a glossy coating and the label's branding subtly printed on the side, the Trash Pouch stays true its source material with a simple cinched sack design while still maintaining a very Balenciaga price tag of $1,790. Coming in a shiny all black, blue, yellow and red and white colorways, the Trash Pouch is said to be rolling out across Balenciaga boutiques and online as we speak.
Always the fashion agitator, Demna explained to WWD, “I couldn’t miss an opportunity to make the most expensive trash bag in the world, because who doesn’t love a fashion scandal?” Still, telling customers to tote around their everyday wares like they're taking out the recycling seems like it might be a tough sell. As soon as the pouch hit Instagram, the luxury trash bag became instant meme fodder with many making fun of the accessory's absurdity in the comments.
Then again, this isn't exactly new territory for Demna and Balenciaga. You may recall the brand kicked up a storm back in 2017 with the infamous $2,000 clone of Ikea's blue Frakta bag. The expensive imitation made its fair share of headlines back when it was initially unveiled, even garnering an official response from Ikea who reminded everyone that the original reusable plastic bag was still only 99 cents. Perhaps, Demna is looking for lightning to strike twice with this latest offering. The results remain to be seen.
Photo Courtesy of Balenciaga
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