French luxury brand Balenciaga is no stranger to complaints or jokes about “IQ tax” or inexplicable design in luxury and fashion. From the “keyring” hair tie to the “childhood” hair clips, Balenciaga has had its fair share of controversies over its avant-garde design and post-modern humour. This time, a Balenciaga skirt called “women’s cut off brief skirt” received serious online backlash for looking like, well, a pair of men’s boxer briefs.
Netizens’ complaints come with several points, including not understanding what fashion means these days, isn’t that just a pair of boxer pants, it’s ugly, and of course, why does it cost 4,500 RMB (624.63 USD, priced at 550 USD stateside). After a few days of online bashing, Balenciaga seems to have buckled under pressure and removed the skirt from its online channels.
- #巴黎世家线上已下架4500元半身裙 Balenciaga removes 4,500 RMB skirt from shelves: 52.53 million views on Weibo, ranking number 5 on the Hot Search list
- #巴黎世家平角短裤造型半身裙惹争议 Balenciaga in controversy for brief skirt: 19.38 million views on Weibo, ranking number 33 on the Hot Search list
This differs from previous controversies because former contentious items, such as the hair pins, were usually sold out before the brand could react, as the controversy brought awareness and interest to the items. With luxury facing headwinds in China and Balenciaga awaiting new direction after naming Pierpaolo Piccioli as its creative director, it may be an indicator that Balenciaga has changed.