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Balenciaga’s new $2610 handbag looks like an Ikea shopping bag

The Balenciaga Carry Shopper (left) is $2609 more expensive than the nearly identical Ikea Frakta bag (right).

The Balenciaga Carry Shopper (left) is $2609 more expensive than the nearly identical Ikea Frakta bag (right).

For those who are style-challenged, never fear: being fashion-forward could be as simple as picking up a flat-pack dresser from your closest Ikea.

Luxury French fashion house Balenciaga has released a pricey new tote that bears a striking resemblance to the Swedish furniture giant’s signature shopping bags.

The Balenciaga Carry Shopper retails for $2610 in Australia and is made in Italy from lambskin.

The Ikea Frakta bag will set you back $1 and is made from 100 per cent polypropylene plastic.

The Balenciaga Carry Shopper is made out of lambskin and crafted in Italy.

The Balenciaga Carry Shopper is made out of lambskin and crafted in Italy.

For the extra $2609 the Balenciaga version will give you calfskin handles, a zip top, a matching pouch and a fancy gold Balenciaga logo.

Ikea is unperturbed by the designer replica, telling Today USA: “We are 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!”

But is the likeness accidental or entirely intentional?

It may be deliberate, given this tongue-in-cheek mimicry isn’t anything out of the ordinary for Balenciaga.

The brand recently appointed Georgian designer Demna Gvasalia —formerly of the French streetwear brand Vetements – as its creative director, and since then they’ve been sending some intriguing items down the runway.

The $A5595 “blanket tote” made headlines and spawned internet memes — when it was released earlier this year — due to its resemblance to a plastic duvet cover.

The brand’s ‘Bazar bag‘ — which sells for $A3075 – was also compared to a Chinese laundry bag, while its square-toed mules were said to resemble a McDonald’s chip packet.

https://twitter.com/NiaPorter/status/706549310423506944

Following the US election, Ms Gvasalia debuted a new menswear collection featuring designs based on Democrat Bernie Sanders’ campaign logo.

Mr Sanders was bemused by the style shout-out, telling CNN’s Jake Tapper: “Of my many attributes, being a great dresser or a fashion maven is not one of them.”

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