Demna Gvasalia knows how to turn imitations in the opposite direction – think of his DHL T-Shirt for Vetements or the Bazar shopper for Balenciaga. His newest take on transforming a completely unsophisticated non-luxurious item into a must-have piece for fashion victims around the globe is his latest accessory for Balenciaga Men and targets originally the male customer. Playing with consumerism, he sent down the runway the so-called ‘Arena Extra-Large Shopper Tote Bag‘ which looks like a copy of the iconic IKEA‘s ‘Frakta Tote‘ in shape, size, and color.
To the left the Balenciaga for $2145.00, to the right IKEA for $0.99.
The only difference? The absence of the IKEA logo on the handles which makes sense, of course, the material (the IKEA version is made from 100% recyclable polypropylene whereas the Balenciaga tote is made of leather), and not surprisingly the price.
I would really like to get into Demna’s head, creative genius or making fun of the fashion world? I somehow tend to believe the latter. What do you think?
LoL, Sandra
Photos: Courtesy of Balenciaga and IKEA
