The world of luxury fashion never fails to surprise, and sometimes shock, ordinary people. The latest moment causing complete chaos on the internet is Balenciaga’s famous Trash Bag Large Pouch, a designer handbag that costs a jaw-dropping $1,790, roughly PKR 500,000, and looks exactly like a regular plastic shopping bag that you would pick up for free from any grocery store in Pakistan.
The bag was first debuted during Balenciaga’s Fall/Winter 2022 show and is made from premium calfskin leather treated with a glossy coating to perfectly mimic the shiny look of plastic. The brand’s creative director, Demna, even proudly admitted the inspiration, saying he could not miss the opportunity to create the most expensive trash bag in the world, calling it a deliberate fashion scandal.
The bag comes in four colours, black, white, yellow and blue, all featuring a drawstring closure at the top, just like a real garbage bag. It was even approved and carried publicly by Kim Kardashian.
The bag went viral again in March 2026 after Chinese actress Zhang Jingyi stepped onto the red carpet at the Beijing International Film Festival carrying what appeared to everyone to be a simple yellow plastic trash bag. Within hours, social media went into a complete frenzy with people joking that fashion had officially run out of ideas.
Social commentators quickly pointed out the irony, in 2026, when millions of families are struggling with rising costs and economic pressure, a celebrity carrying a bin bag worth more than a month’s rent felt completely out of touch with reality.
But this is exactly what Balenciaga does best. They create something so ridiculous that the entire world cannot stop talking about it, and somewhere in that conversation, they sell out completely. Love it or hate it, the Trash Bag has done its job.
