Balenciaga designer reveals why he famously made a $2,000 version of an Ikea bag

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• Ikea bags have attracted somewhat of a cult following thanks to their size and durability.
• And high-end fashion designer Demna Gvasalia is a fan, too.
• In an interview with WWD, Gvasalia explained why he designed a $2,145 blue tote nearly identical to one of Ikea’s Frakta bags in 2017.

Ikea bags aren’t just big and functional. They’ve also got the potential to inspire high fashion.

At least, that’s the case for Balenciaga designer Demna Gvasalia, who designed a $2,145 blue tote almost identical to the furniture giant’s blue bag, which sells in-store for 99 cents.

In a recent interview with WWD, Gvasalia revealed the inspiration behind making a bag that resembles Ikea’s iconic tote.

Quartz reported that Gvasalia and his classmates at Antwerp’s Royal Academy of Fine Arts were drawn to the famous blue bags because of their longevity and functionality, and they would hold onto them long after making a run to Ikea.

Years later, Gvasalia decided to channel this "perfect example of ready-made" into a leather luxury bag. Speaking to WWD, Gvasalia added that the Balenciaga bag’s price skyrocketed because of the change in logo and the fact that the tote was made "beautifully out of leather."

 

Read more: Ikea’s furniture names are famous for being hard to pronounce, but they aren’t completely random. Here’s where they come from.

Ikea, for its part, doesn’t seem to have taken issue with Balenciaga ripping off its famous tote. Back in 2017, an Ikea spokesperson told "Today" that the chain was "deeply flattered that the Balenciaga tote bag resembles the Ikea iconic sustainable blue bag for 99 cents. Nothing beats the versatility of a great big blue bag!"

Ikea’s iconic blue bags are called Frakta, and they’ve developed quite a reputation for their sturdiness. Super fans who don’t have $2,000 to shell out on a bag can even order these totes off the retailer’s website for $1.29 to $4.99.

NOW WATCH: Here’s the meaning behind all of those obscure IKEA product names

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Source: Business Insider – feedback@businessinsider.com (Áine Cain)