Dear Balenciaga and Kanye West: This sh*t isn't funny.

Listen to this story being read by Tamara Holland, here.

When is a garbage bag not a garbage bag?

When it's a $2,577 Balenciaga garbage bag, apparently.

An accessory from the high-end French label has gone viral because it closely resembles your run-of-the-mill Kitchen Tidy bag, only the price tag is far beyond what you'd pay for a roll of 20 at Woolies.

It comes in classic black, blue, and white leather made to look like plastic, and even has those ties at the top in place of straps.

The bags debuted at the brand's Autumn/Winter 22 runway show earlier this year, with models toting them down the runway in the same way you would carry your rubbish bag out on bin day.

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A post shared by Balenciaga by Demna (@demnagram)

It's funny, right? Joke's on us, yeah? Can sell us anything! Even fancy bin liners! Something something capitalism something.

The irony seems to have been lost on label ambassador Kim Kardashian, who attended the show dressed in an outfit made from Balenciaga-branded tape, and proudly posted on her Instagram about getting her hands on the accessory.

"Look what I got. I got the trash bag-bag from the show. I am so excited," she shared in a video posted to her Instagram Stories, giving followers a closer look at the style.

Musing over the design, Balenciaga's creative director Demna Gvasalia told WWD, "I couldn't miss an opportunity to make the most expensive trash bag in the world, because who doesn't love a fashion scandal?"

I can think of a few people. 

With the cost of living rising and families struggling as much of the world faces a recession, it's not really irreverent or subversive to promote a product like this. It's just incredibly out of touch.

But that's the thing about selling people something masquerading as actual garbage - there is a consumer appetite for it.

This week in the US, an image taken at a GAP store went viral after Kanye West's latest Yeezy Gap collaboration with the heritage brand finally launched. The photo showed items from the line being sold out of giant black overflowing bags sitting on the floor.

This is how they are selling Yeezy GAP. The sales associate said Ye got mad when he saw they had it on hangers and this is how he wanted it. They won’t help you find ur size too, you just have to just dig through everything pic.twitter.com/GNd08Zv1zC

— little miss (@owen__lang) August 15, 2022

According to the Twitter user who shared the image, "The sales associate said Ye got mad when he saw they had it on hangers and this is how he wanted it."

The user added, "They won’t help you find [your] size too, you just have to just dig through everything."

Whether it's a social experiment or a PR stunt, making people 'dumpster dive' for clothing still feels like a weird flex in this climate.

But the reality is that brands with enough clout know people will buy just about anything with a designer logo or, even better, buy into the 'if-you-know-you-know' prestige of Ye's Yeezy GAP range, which is full of nondescript hoodies and t-shirts. 

They haven't read the room, but why should they when fans will fork out a few weeks' rent for an item with cult status? The hype is real.

The same goes for a plain white Prada tank currently retailing for AU$1,180.

It's just an ordinary cotton singlet, with a metal Prada logo. No other defining features - what you see is what you get.

So why the outrageous price tag?

At the Autumn/Winter collections, the humble white tank was singled out by fashion media as the key item of the season, appearing on runways at Prada, Loewe, Bottega Veneta and Miu Miu.

Kaia Gerber walks the Prada Autumn/Winter 2022 runway. Image: Getty. Now that's trickled down to magazine shoots, celebrity stylists and influencers - and in the cultural economy of style on social media, these pieces carry real weight.

A Bonds singlet will cost you a lot less, but it won't carry that logo.

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A post shared by charli (@charlidamelio)

This is nothing new - the fashion industry has a long history of elevating basic sh*t to aspirational levels.

But in 2022, we're over it. We don't want it. Household items are expensive enough as it is, thanks.

Tamara is Mamamia's Head of Lifestyle and the host of What Are You Wearing?. For more fashion commentary, follow her on Instagram.

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