Ikea releases tips on how to spot an "original" blue shopping bag from the Balenciaga version

By

Emily Jensen

Published
Apr 26, 2017

Balenciaga recently made headlines by releasing a new bag that looks remarkably similar to Ikea's iconic large, blue plastic bag that it sells to shoppers to transport all their (bulky) Ikea purchases home. The budget furniture chain took note of the similarities and released a tongue-in-cheek response to the luxury fashion brand.

 
Ikea’s blue Frakta bag costs just 99 cents and is available to shoppers at the furniture chain. The recently released Balenciaga Carry Shopper bag costs $2,145. Both are trapezoidal in shape and rendered in a distinctive bright blue color.
 
In explaining to shoppers how to spot the “original” Frakta bag, Ikea released a few tips. One is to “shake it,” if the bag rustles, “it’s the real deal.” Ikea’s bag is also multifunctional and can carry “hockey gear, bricks and even water.” The Frakta bag can also be thrown in the dirt and simply “rinsed off with a garden hose.” Ikea’s bag can also be folded down the size of a small purse, and contains an Ikea label on the inside.

But the biggest difference? The price of course, as the original is just 99 cents. This isn’t the first time however that high-end designers have riffed on everyday bags. Louis Vuitton once released purses resembling mesh laundry totes, and Vetements recently put out a mesh bag that looks like it was designed to carry fruits and vegetables.