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High Fashion or Swedish Nylon?: Balenciaga "IKEA" Bag

High Fashion or Swedish Nylon?: Balenciaga "IKEA" Bag

It's moving season, whether you're gearing up for another year in college housing or getting ready for your first foray into apartment-style living. Move aside clear-knee mom jeans or plastic pants, the latest internet fashion gossip falls on the Balenciaga Arena Extra-Large Shopper Tote Bag.

IKEA Frakta Bag

IKEA Frakta Bag

Can you spot the difference?! 

Balenciaga Arena Bag

Balenciaga Arena Bag

Championing "blue wrinkled, glazed leather," the bag clocks in at $2,145 and breeds stark similarity to the famous IKEA Frakta Shopping Bag. At just $0.99, the crinkly nylon bag adorns the checkout aisles, fit for carrying your soon-to-be assembled furniture (or random odds and ends you justified purchasing with their low price-tag) and ready for its new days as your go-to tote for lugging your laundry to the washing machine.  

Image via here

Image via here

Swedish agency, ACNE, wittily responds to the Balenciaga "knock off" with assertions that the furniture powerhouse's bag is the original. Praising rustles and versatility, the IKEA bag can go where no leather tote can dream–dragged through mud and any terrain, simply to be rinsed clean with your garden hose. 

Image via here

Image via here

The internet has taken this mockery by storm - with endless tweets, memes, and DIY renditions. DIY maven YouTubers, The Sorry Girls, have even revamped the classic Frakta bag, making track pants, duffles, bucket hats, and fanny packs (very seriously considering making these side strip pants). 

What is your take on this Swedish similarity? Let us know in the comments! 

Featured image via

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