Balenciaga is marketing a new skirt with a very particular design. On the Internet, clothing is talked about a lot.
Balenciaga is never short of original ideas to attract new customers. After toe shoes, pre-worn sneakers, potato chip pouches and yeti dresses, the brand has launched a new product that defies norms: a towel skirt.
No, it’s not an error, the house founded in 1919 by the Spaniard Cristóbal Balenciaga, has marketed a cotton terry skirt with a design completely identical to that of a bath towel. For those who wonder how the piece stays in place, the creation of Demna, the brand’s artistic director, is held in place thanks to two buttons and an adjustable belt, hidden inside the product. Sold for the modest sum of 695 euros, this bath towel tied around the waist cannot be worn alone; Instead, it can be worn over pants for a perfect Y2K look.
Internet users did not fail to note the incongruity of this garment. On Instagram, the product photo generated more than 110,000 likes in 24 hours. User @ben_barndoor notices the towel skirt “would go well with Crocs“, while @pawlinastettner calls for “a matching towel to tie on your head”. Enough to give new ideas to Demna and his teams…
A global success clouded by controversies
Adored by Kim Kardashian, Dua Lipa and even Naomi Campbell, Balenciaga is undoubtedly one of celebrities’ favorite brands. It must be said that since his arrival at the head of the label in 2015, Demna has shaken up the codes of the house. In popular culture, it has even established itself as one of the most daring names in luxury. But Balenciaga also knows its share of scandals. In November 2022, the brand was even at the heart of a real controversy. An advertising campaign published on Instagram featured young children with dilated pupils holding teddy bears dressed in outfits evoking the world of BDSM. The house apologized after strong criticism accusing it of tolerating pedophilia and exploitation of children. Since then, the brand has tried to make amends (last February, it announced its support for an association for the protection of minors) and return to the essential: clothes. It remains to be seen whether the towel skirt will allow Balenciaga to forget the controversies of last year.