Luxury fashion has a knack for trolling us time and time again. By now, we've grown numb to the ungodly prices of some of retail's must-have items. Want a Gucci bag? It could easily be equivalent to a month's food budget. How about that Cartier Love bracelet? That might be roughly the cost of a downpayment on your dream home. Sticker shock is what fuels the knockoff industry, which is problematic on so many levels. But sometimes, the all-too-faithful imitations can go in the opposite direction, and we just can't get behind it. Take, for example, Balenciaga's latest accessory.
The French luxury label just released their Arena Extra-Large Shopper Tote Bag and its price is pretty staggering given its striking resemblance to another, far cheaper bag. The tote looks a lot like Ikea's massive FRAKTA bag, which just might double as your laundry bag (and it also becomes particularly useful when moving day rolls around). But the problem here is that, despite the difference in straps and materials (Balenciaga's is "wrinkled, glazed leather" and Ikea's is plastic), the prices are at complete opposite ends of the spectrum: $2,145 vs. 99 cents, respectively.
While we're down with aspirational fashion, like, say, couture or custom wedding gowns, it's nearly impossible to convincingly explain the reasoning behind this $2,145 bag when there's one that's probably more functional and durable...and costs less than $1. We don't know, but whoever cops one of these bad boys must have a lot of cash to burn.
Balenciaga was the subject of another bag conundrum when they sent down comforter bags down the runway at Paris Fashion Week. They'd go on to sell for thousands of dollars, when really, you could just make your way to your nearest Chinatown and snag the real deal for $15. And, if you can believe it, they did it again with those striped laundry totes. Their Bazar bags retailed for more than $2,000, but really, were just copies of Thailand laundry bags that cost $2. We're not sure what's going on chez Balenciaga, but can somebody tell Demna that while we appreciate the play on consumerism, for those of us that actually want to buy your into your creative vision, these absurdly marked-up versions of ordinary, non-lux items is taking a toll on our psyches.
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