Balenciaga keeps with trashed theme with new bags

Luxury fashion brand Balenciaga has raised eyebrows after it reportedly launched its latest collection in its stores. The brand is calling its latest product the 'Trash Pouch' inspired by a garbage bag and comes with a hefty price tag of US$1,790. This comes months after it was first showcased at creative director Demna Gvasalia’s Winter 2022 show. At the event, models were seen walking with the bag in the snow, while audiences were watching through an artificially created blizzard in a glass enclosure.  

The Trash Pouch has gone viral after Highsnobiety posted on Instagram that the “Trash Pouch” has finally landed in-store. The post also said that Demna told Women's Wear Daily: "I couldn't miss an opportunity to make the most expensive trash bag in the world, because who doesn't love a fashion scandal?"⁠

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Balenciaga for a statement. 

The post then drew mixed reactions with some commenting that “I got 40 of those under my sink”, while others called it "a social experiment”.

Multiple reports such as Yahoo Finance suggested that the Trash Pouch is made of calfskin leather with a glossy coating. It comes in various colours including black, white-and-red, yellow-and-black and blue-and-black. The unique bags have drawstrings which enable easier closure of the bags.

Back in May this year, Balenciaga unveiled a new line of footwear that looked "fully destroyed", raising eyebrows and outrage in the Twitterverse. The limited-edition footwear full of rips and dirt costs around US$1,850, and costs twice as much as its standard Paris High Top Sneaker priced around US$625.

According to CNN, the images were shot by photographer Leopold Duchemin for the brand, and have gone viral following Monday's launch of the brand's new Paris sneaker. The roughed up sneakers, which look like a beat-up Converse, were created for an ad campaign, Complex reported and the brand is selling just 100 pairs of the “full destroyed” sneakers. Some have questioned if the product launch is simply a “social experiment”, while others have labelled the sneakers as "poverty-chic pieces” where “unchecked capitalism is mind-boggling”.

(Photo courtesy: Balenciaga 360° Show Winter 22 Collection video)

Related articles:

Salvation Army hijacks Balenciaga's destroyed sneaker look
Balenciaga sends smashed iPhones to invitees of fashion show