The viral bag that refers us to a popular object belongs to luxury

FashionAll eyes are on the latest luxury bag proposed by Balenciaga, a checkered maxi piece that, due to its pattern, refers us to a day in the market.

By Cecilia Suarez Olvera

At the head of the creative direction of Balenciaga, Demna Gvasalia, is one of the creators who is setting the tone for a new generation of designers. In the search to reformulate garments and objects, and present them in new ways on the catwalk, the designer from Georgia has allowed himself certain licenses, and finds inspiration in objects that are associated with the popular; as happened with his recent bag.

Lovers of the world of fashion know that this will not be the first time that a proposal of this type bursts from the clothing workshops of one of the great fashion houses, to become a controversy of street style and social networks. . Just before the arrival of summer, we were talking about the Balenciaga stiletto-type Crocs that were part of the spring-summer 2022 collection, and as usually happens in this type of creation, they promised to be the next object of desire.

This is the Balenciaga bag that went viral

The latest bag from the luxury fashion house could refer us to a trip to the supermarket, since its checkered design in red, blue and white is similar to that which characterizes the classic grocery bag. However, this has not prevented different firms from surrendering to the daily life of this accessory or to the striped print. In the last decade, elements rooted in everyday life such as fast food chains, household cleaners or transport companies have been incorporated into luxury collections.

This is not the first time that Demna Gvasalia has delivered a practical bag that can contain anything and that also becomes controversial, but it is the most recent. The piece in question is shopper style and its print is easy to associate with the popular bags that we can find in any market; the difference is that instead of being made of canvas (the material they are commonly made of), this one is made of calfskin.

As is often the case when these types of pieces break out, social networks have turned their gaze towards them and have made them go viral. The design baptized as Barbès East-West Shopper was part of the Pre-Fall 2021 collection. It was included with outfits that consisted of plaid skirts, baggy sweatshirts and metallic boots, as well as baggy high-waisted pants and printed shirts. Although it appears twice in the collection, the maxi bags remained constant in practically all the outfits.

By Maria Belén Archetto

The complex universe of the collection plays with sweatshirts, tailoring, voluminous jackets and the illusion of seeing one garment when it is actually another, such as trench coats that are mistaken for dresses. In addition to a mix of textiles ranging from leather to denim; as well as the combination of matte and metallic finishes.

Although in 2017 the designer presented a piece inspired by an Ikea shopping bag that was also widely commented on, as well as being a bestseller, the invention was shared. Louis Vuitton, led by Marc Jacobs, also did it in 2007, as did Phoebe Philo, who also included that characteristic tartan in some of the garments of the autumn-winter 2013 collection.