Balenciaga unveils $1,250 towel skirt, Ikea fires back with $12.50 alternative
PHOTO: Balenciaga, Screengrab/Instagram/Ikea
PUBLISHED ONNovember 17, 2023 6:00 AMByVenkat Gunasellan In the ever-bizarre world of high fashion, Balenciaga has once again captured the spotlight with its (not-so) avant-garde creation. The latest head-turner? The towel skirt from the Spring 24 Collection.
Upon first glance, it may look like an ordinary bath towel, but it's actually a beige-toned skirt in terry cotton.
Unveiling the unisex skirt on its website, Balenciaga highlights its unique features, including two discreet buttons on the inside and an adjustable belt with an internal buckle.
But here's the twist – this fashion statement comes with a hefty price tag of $1,250.
As Balenciaga shared a snapshot of the towel skirt in a shade of blue on Instagram, netizens couldn't resist poking fun.
One user wittily suggested that it might be a social experiment, while another recommended the release of a matching towel for a complete fashion ensemble.
Drawing inspiration from The Devil Wears Prada, a user quipped, "Towel for Spring? Groundbreaking," as some openly expressed their disapproval.
In a brilliant response, Ikea, the Swedish furniture giant, took to Instagram on Nov 16 to showcase its Vinarn bath towel.
However, in the post, said bath towel was humorously relabelled as the Vinarn towel skirt.
A model flaunted the affordable substitute in a similar pose to the original Balenciaga's image, but all at a wallet-friendly price of £16 (S$26.76).
If you're looking to get the Vinarn towel for your home or wardrobe (no judgements), you can get it on Ikea's Singapore website, which retails for $12.50.
This isn't the first time Ikea has playfully responded to Balenciaga's over-the-top designs.
In 2017, when Balenciaga released a $2,200 blue, white and red striped tote bag strikingly similar to Ikea's blue Frakta shopping bag, Ikea cleverly embraced the moment.
It released a tongue-in-cheek guide on how to identify an original Ikea bag, highlighting the stark price difference and reassuring customers that they need not break the bank for a stylish tote.
Reflecting on other instances of fashion mimicry, another notable example hails from the Jean Paul Gaultier's Spring 2010 couture show.
Supermodel Karlie Kloss proudly carried a one-of-a-kind green bag that strikingly resembled our beloved banana leaf-wrapped nasi lemak.
Social media users in Singapore couldn't resist the humour, sharing photos and creating side-by-side comparisons of the fashion accessory with the iconic dish.
ALSO READ: Chic or nah? Netizens shocked by Bottega Veneta's latest $2,700 'brown paper bag' drop
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