Why is a trash bag retailing for ₹1.7 lakh?

march 29, 2026

Image: X/@adm87

Over the past couple of weeks, Balenciaga’s “trash pouch” has been trending. The reason? It's priced at an eye-popping $1,790 or ₹1.7 lakh!

Image: X/@adm87

The trash pouch first debuted in Balenciaga’s Winter 2022 “ready-to-wear” collection under its then-creative director Demna Gvasalia.

Representative image: Shutterstock

It is made from premium leather and has a glossy finish, mimicking the shiny surface of plastic. It also has a drawstring closure and a fabric lining on the inside.

Representative image: Shutterstock

Over the past few years, luxury fashion has given us some really bizarre concoctions, ranging from a tape bracelet and an orange-juice carton bag to Prada’s deliberately stained dress shirt.

Images: Pinterest (left); X/@justpicturethings (Right)

These fashion pieces suggest a marketing strategy focused on shock value and virality rather than aesthetics and craftsmanship. 

Luxury fashion designers have always sought to push the boundaries of what is construed as fashion. As the popular saying goes, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”

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