There was the 2017 Arena Extra-Large Shopping Tote Bag that bears a striking resemblance to Ikea's iconic Frankta carrier bag, and then the Trash Pouch (emulating exactly what it describes) unveiled at the Paris Winter 2022 show.
Balenciaga’s unashamedly phantastic creative director Demna Gvasalia is again turning heads with yet another copycat design, this time taking both the fashion world and snacks sector by storm.
Flaming’ Hot or not?
The Balenciaga x PepsiCo Frito-Lay collab was one of the more bizarre items to course down the runway, producing one of the most viral-worthy moment in fashion in recent years.
The hand-clutched purse are made of leather “that has been treated to resemble chip bags, with a high gloss finish and crumpled effect”, along with a silver interior.
They comes in four ‘flavours’, featuring the actual branding of the various Lay’s potato chips packets, namely Salt & Vinegar, Limón, Classic and Flamin’ Hot, as well as the standard nutritional info on the back. However, the bags bear the tag ‘Balenciaga Paris’ instead of the flavour description.
Seen scrunched in the hands of various models on its official social media sites, they truly are androgynous and are guaranteed to catch the eye of social influencers.
His inspiration?
According to a statement from the fashion house, “Demna loves chips in general, and has carried a bag of Lay’s potato chips as an accessory before.”
It added he is very interested in “transforming everyday objects into elevated material innovations, a reflection on the Dadaist Readymade project and on the objects that become most ubiquitous in our modern lives.”
Demna’s Arena Extrra-Large Sopping Tote Bag is constructed of blue wrinkled, glazed leather and double shoulder staps and clocks in at an eye-watering $2,145, a far cry from Ikea’s version at $0.50.
His Trash Bag – a leather drawstring sack designed to look just like a 13-gallon garbage bag – costs $1,790.
Said Demna at the time, “I couldn’t miss an opportunity to make the most expensive trash bag in the world, because who doesn't love a fashion scandal?”
His latest creation has a price tag of $1,500. That’s an awful lot of Lay’s chips – but sadly, this piece is sold sans the salty snacks.