Ikea’s iconic 99 cent bag has gotten a high-fashion upgrade courtesy of Balenciaga.
The couture brand has come out with a bag that looks eerily similar to everyone’s favorite crinkly Ikea tote bag. They’re both neon blue, have the exact same construction, and seem to be bigger on the inside, like Doctor Who’s TARDIS.
When you look at them side by side, there’s only one major difference: price. Ikea’s “Frakta” bag — made of recyclable plastic — costs 99 cents. Balenciaga’s “glazed leather” and gold-stamped creation (standing in for yellow nylon straps) clocks in at $2,145.
In the age of high-fashion brands recreating cheap favorites — Vetements’ recreations of Hanes T-shirts for $740, for example — Balenciaga may just be jumping on the bandwagon. It hasn’t publicly responded to the controversy, so we can’t be sure.
But Ikea doesn’t seem to mind. A company spokesperson told Today, “We are deeply flattered that the Balenciaga tote bag resembles the Ikea iconic sustainable blue bag for 99 cents. Nothing beats the versatility of a great big blue bag!”