Controversy Over Balenciaga's 'Coffee Cup' Clutch Bag
Netizens Divided: "Unique and Fun" vs. "A Foolish Purchase"
Brand Previously Criticized for Outlandish Designs
French luxury brand Balenciaga has sparked controversy by releasing a bag shaped like a disposable paper cup priced at around 8 million won.
On the 1st (local time), according to the New York Post and others, Balenciaga recently launched a bag called the '9AM Coffee Cup Clutch Bag,' becoming the center of attention in the fashion industry. This bag is part of Balenciaga's 'surreal' design handbag series and is designed to resemble a disposable paper cup commonly used for coffee.
The bag is sold for $5,750 (about 8.41 million won) in the United States and ?4,350 (about 8.21 million won) in the United Kingdom. In South Korea, the price is set at 8.07 million won. The New York Post described the bag as "the most expensive cup of coffee in the world that you can't take a single sip from."
Lauren Sanchez, who is engaged to Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, was spotted holding what appeared to be a coffee cup, but it was revealed that she was actually carrying this bag, which also became a topic of discussion.
Netizens expressed mixed opinions. After seeing photos of the bag, some commented, "It's a unique and fun bag, but carrying this around looks foolish. I'm really curious who would buy something like this," "It doesn't even have a strap; it's just a cup," "If you accidentally leave it in the park, it would probably be thrown away immediately," "The dumbest way to spend $6,000," and "If it's a joke, it's fun, but it's way too expensive." One netizen criticized, saying, "It seriously seems like rich people are mocking ordinary people."
This is not the first time Balenciaga has been embroiled in controversy over its designs. In the winter collection of 2022, the brand caused a stir by unveiling a bag shaped like a garbage bag, and also released uniquely designed products such as a shopping bag-style tote, a wallet shaped like a potato chip bag, and a high heel-shaped clutch.
In March of last year, Balenciaga introduced a bracelet resembling transparent tape commonly found in stationery stores, but it sparked controversy because it was priced at 3,000 euros (about 4.6 million won) due to the Balenciaga logo embossed on it.
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