In Beijing, the brand that Demna Gvasalia is leaving behind has come up with a new flavour for their ‘Chips Bag’: the capital’s favourite roast bird

The Balenciaga zip-top bag that mimics packaging for the pre-cooked version of Beijing’s most famous delicacy

Looks like Balenciaga is not retiring their infamous Chips Bag anytime soon. As part of their “exclusive” merchandise for the recent opening of their flagship in the capital’s Sanlitun Taikoo Li shopping district, Balenciaga offered a new flavour of their decisive clutch: 北京烤鸭 (beijing kaoya) or Peking Duck, boldly indicated on the bag in full Chinese characters. In the rear, as with other “flavours”, is a faux nutrition label. Although not many understood the gimmick, the bag is reported to have sold out. The full-leather bag costs 15,500 yuan each (or about S$2,773). Here, the asking price for a regular Chips Bag (if you can even score one) is S$2,850. This could be disappointing to local fans: the Beijing exclusive won’t be available here.

The original Chips Bag, first seen in the spring/summer 2023 season, was conceived by previous creative director Demna Gvasalia as a “statement” piece that smudges the line between high fashion and everyday objects. Its debut resembled the packaging for Lay’s Potato Chips. But this is the first time Balenciaga offers a more gourmet flavour, when they chose Peking duck, rather than, say, the ‘spicy chili’ or ‘salt and vinegar’ of the current season. Despite its supposedly more epicurean offering, Chinese Netizens were not impressed by it, with many agreeing that only “傻子才去买 (only stupid people will buy)” and the more nationalistic ones wondering if Balenciaga has paid for the rights to “用我们的IP (use out IP).”

It seems (and we could, of course, be wrong) that Balenciaga is quickly releasing more of these absurdist products before in-coming Pierpaolo Piccioli obliterates them. In fact, it is very possible that the era of the Chips Bag and the earlier Trash Pouch, and other meme-generating bags and accessories is coming to a close at Balenciaga. Mr Piccioli’s appointment may signal a shift towards a more traditional, perhaps less irreverent direction for the Kering brand. While Balenciaga under Demna Gvasalia delighted in seasoning the mundane into luxury objects and provoking conversation about what makes for fashionable flavours, we can expect Pierpaolo Piccioli to bring in a different taste for what is expected to be a whole new course.

Screen shot: Weibo