The hottest accessory from Balenciaga's Spring/Summer 2023 collection could be duped for a lot less with a quick trip to the grocery store and a stroll down the snack aisle, it turns out.
The fashion house's "Mud Show" presentation at Paris Fashion Week debuted an official collaboration with Frito-Lay and an unmistakable pop of yellow and red mimicking the iconic Lay’s potato chip bag in clutch form.
Balenciaga stated in a press release that the L.O.L. clutch, made in partnership with Lay's, "will be commercialized and put into production" and retail for 1200€ or $1,500. An actual 8 ounce bag of Lay's chips is commonly sold for around $3.99.
"Demna loves chips in general, and has carried a bag of Lay's potato chips as an accessory before," the release continued. "He is also interested in transforming everyday objects into elevated material innovations, a reflection on the Dadaist Readymade project and on the objects that become most ubiquitous in our modern lives."
The graphic printed leather resembles a crinkled version of the classic chip bag design, "with a high gloss finish." It closes with a zipper.but has a subtle bit of branding where the italicized flavor would typically be -- instead of "original" or "salt and vinegar" the clutch reads "Balenciaga."
Eagle eyed fashion editors for ENFNTS TERRIBLES, an Antwerp-based online fashion magazine, previously spotted Balenciaga's creative director Demna at the Antwerp Royal Acadamy of Fine Arts graduate show back in June clutching a bag of Lay's chips as an accessory -- a precursor to the fashion house's latest viral design.
The hot new item is set to be released alongside the brand's latest collection later this year.