Balenciaga is selling a tote bag that looks like a crinkled up plastic carrier bag – but it’s made from a totally different kind of material, and it comes with a hefty price tag
Luxury fashion brand Balenciaga is causing a stir with its new tote bag that bears a striking resemblance to a crumpled plastic bag – and the price tag has left people gobsmacked. The company, established in Spain in 1919 by Cristóbal Balenciaga, is famed for its high-end clothing as well as its ready-to-wear shoes, handbags, and accessories.
The brand frequently grabs headlines with its unique takes on everyday items, such as its Women’s Gaffer Bangle in Matte, priced at £925, which looks like a roll of gaffer tape, or its Sports Loop Icon Cargo Cap, featuring rips and distressed elements to give it a well-worn appearance, retailing for £425.
Recently, one of its tote bags has been causing a splash because it looks just like an ordinary plastic bag you’d receive at a supermarket or corner shop – but it carries a hefty £775 price tag.
While the fashion house does offer more conventional bags in materials like leather and suede, it’s renowned for creating products that spark conversation.
Its notorious Chips Bag, made from “red glossy calfskin” with “aged-silver hardware” and resembling a large packet of spicy crisps, went viral when it was first launched, carrying a price tag of £1,450.
Now, its Marché Packable Tote Bag Medium, part of the Balenciaga Winter 25 Collection, is turning heads.
Crafted from a crinkled, aged material to mimic the look of a well-used plastic carrier bag, the designer bag comes with a staggering £775 price tag.
While most standard supermarket bags are crafted from polythene, Balenciaga’s version is made with polyamide and Dyneema – a brand name for an ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibre renowned for its high strength and lightweight properties.
The bag, in a light blue hue, features the brand’s logo on the front, along with the addresses of its Paris stores and website details.
Although originally established in Spain, Balenciaga now operates from France, but this blue bag is Italian-made.
It boasts two handles and an “inner flat pocket to pack the bag into a pouch”. According to the designer, it can be used to store essentials ranging from your mobile phone to a laptop weighing up to 10kg.
If you were to order the Marché today, it would arrive by 21 October – but it comes with a hefty price tag of nearly £1,000.
This follows last month’s controversy when Balenciaga was criticised for selling “tatty” Puma trainers at a significantly higher price than a standard pair.
The renowned fashion house teamed up with the sportswear giant to offer its own spin on the Speedcat sneakers for £520.
These shoes had a “distressed” look with part of the Puma markings peeled off and a few fake, grubby bits on them.
Almost identical trainers were found being sold by Puma for just £55.
One disgruntled shopper named Chris pointed out: “You could have the Puma Speedcats for £55.
“Or the exact same shoe but ruined for 10 times the price.”