The internet was ablaze when Balenciaga released its latest product, and Swedish retailer IKEA got in on the action.
The luxury brand recently debuted a beige, terry-cotton towel skirt with a price tag of $925. The towel-skirt buttons at the waistline and is embroidered with the Balenciaga logo in the front. According to the designer’s website, the knee-length unisex garment comes in small and medium sizes.
In response, IKEA took to their Instagram page to display their version of the exorbitantly priced towel-skirt. The retailer posted a photo of a male model wearing the VINARN bath towel which, according to its website, retails at $9.99 USD. The man appeared to be mimicking the Balenciaga model’s post while wearing a similar black hoodie and sunglasses while holding a blue Ikea shopping bag.
Social media commented on the retailer’s tongue-in-cheek “advertisement.”
“I actually cannot cope. This is ICONIC,” wrote one follower.
One commenter offered some words of advice for Balenciaga.
“Lol, @balenciaga Ikea could teach you a lot. Towel skirts don’t have to cost hundreds of dollars 😂”
This is not the first time the Swedish brand has made fun of Balenciaga’s pricey fashions. In 2017, the Italian brand released a blue tote that costing $2,145 that looked similar to IKEA’s reusable shopping bag, which costs 99 cents. The home goods retailer released a print ad entitled “How to identify an original Ikea Frakta bag.”
“How to identify an original Ikea Frakta bag:
1) Shake it. If it rustles, it’s the real deal.
2) Multifunctional. It can carry hockey gear, bricks, and even water.
3) Throw it in the dirt. A true Frakta is simply rinsed off with a garden hose when dirty.
4) Fold it. Are you able to fold it to the size of a small purse? If the answer is yes, congratulations.
5) Look inside. The original has an authentic Ikea tag.
6) Price tag. Only $0.99.”
When it comes to trolling, Ikea doesn’t discriminate. When rapper Kanye West expressed interest in working with the retailer in 2016, Ikea Australia responded via Facebook with an unserious collaboration “idea.”