Balenciaga’s new $2610 handbag looks like an Ikea shopping bag
The Balenciaga Carry Shopper (left) is $2609 more expensive than the nearly identical Ikea Frakta bag (right).
For those who are style-challenged, never fear: being fashion-forward could be as simple as picking up a flat-pack dresser from your closest Ikea.
Luxury French fashion house Balenciaga has released a pricey new tote that bears a striking resemblance to the Swedish furniture giant’s signature shopping bags.
The Balenciaga Carry Shopper retails for $2610 in Australia and is made in Italy from lambskin.
The Ikea Frakta bag will set you back $1 and is made from 100 per cent polypropylene plastic.
The Balenciaga Carry Shopper is made out of lambskin and crafted in Italy.
For the extra $2609 the Balenciaga version will give you calfskin handles, a zip top, a matching pouch and a fancy gold Balenciaga logo.
Ikea is unperturbed by the designer replica, telling Today USA: “We are deeply flattered that the Balenciaga tote bag resembles the Ikea iconic sustainable blue bag for 99 cents. Nothing beats the versatility of a great big blue bag!”
But is the likeness accidental or entirely intentional?
It may be deliberate, given this tongue-in-cheek mimicry isn’t anything out of the ordinary for Balenciaga.
The brand recently appointed Georgian designer Demna Gvasalia —formerly of the French streetwear brand Vetements – as its creative director, and since then they’ve been sending some intriguing items down the runway.
The $A5595 “blanket tote” made headlines and spawned internet memes — when it was released earlier this year — due to its resemblance to a plastic duvet cover.
I must be balling then , didn't know these were Balenciaga 🙀 pic.twitter.com/0OmY9tmpL1
— Siyabonga Beyile (@SiyaBeyile) March 21, 2017
The brand’s ‘Bazar bag‘ — which sells for $A3075 – was also compared to a Chinese laundry bag, while its square-toed mules were said to resemble a McDonald’s chip packet.
https://twitter.com/NiaPorter/status/706549310423506944
Following the US election, Ms Gvasalia debuted a new menswear collection featuring designs based on Democrat Bernie Sanders’ campaign logo.
Mr Sanders was bemused by the style shout-out, telling CNN’s Jake Tapper: “Of my many attributes, being a great dresser or a fashion maven is not one of them.”
