Balenciaga has unveiled a brand new it-bag for Autumn/Winter 22 - dubbed the “world’s most expensive trash bag” by the fashion house itself.
The luxury fashion designer is not one to shy away from internet-breaking controversy, having released a pair of torn and dirty $1,850 (£1,500) trainers earlier this year which caused outrage in China.
The cownskin Trash Pouch, which retails for a cool $1,790 (£1,470), has whipped up a colossal online frenzy of its own.
“It’s the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine,” wrote one user of the latest Balenciaga drop.
Another person tweeted: “The next time someone calls me a trash bag I’m gonna assume we’re talking about the balenciaga thingy.”
A third added: “If you don’t see the beauty in the Balenciaga trash bag you just don’t understand fashion. It only costs $1,790.”
The design was first revealed in March in a dramatic show that saw models walk down the runway clutching their Trash Pouches in the midst of an indoor snow storm – a vision dreamt up by the creative director Demna Gvasalia’s portrayal of his upbringing in Georgia.
The show also delivered a message of solidarity to Ukrainian families fleeing the ongoing Russian invasion.
“I couldn’t miss an opportunity to make the most expensive trash bag in the world, because who doesn’t love a fashion scandal?” Demna said of the bags in an interview with WWD.
“The pouches – resembling plastic trash bags – are made out of calfskin leather, and are offered in black, blue, yellow and white colorways. Balenciaga’s logo is subtly printed on the front.”