Balenciaga to Bottega Veneta: The most bizarre looking bags ever made

Schenelle Dsouza

Blurring the lines between fashion and art has become the go-to trend in the industry. This isn’t just about using art as an inspiration but using elements and themes that depict an artistic vision in a more realistic way. This might seem like a good idea in theory, but over the years, fashion brands have gone above and beyond to create some unique items which can only be described as eccentric and absurd. Bottega Veneta, for example, loves creating elements that rarely are what they seem. Remember their paperless paper bag?

And now, the brand has done it once again, with their transparent Bottega Cabat bag. From a distance, it’s hard to see anything other than a bag made out of bubble wrap. But in reality, the brand uses clear silicone to craft a bag featuring its classic woven intreccio concept. A lambskin handles and an additional leather pouch finished with brass hardware give this bag a little more edge. But edge or not, the silicone look is hard to miss, and paying a whopping US $9,900 for a silicone bubble-wrap-like bag can seem outrageous.

Paying humongous amounts of money for a strange-looking bag is not a new concept. In fact, fashion brands have gone out of their way to give us some truly bizarre bags, for just as hefty a price tag. Take a look for yourself.

Balenciaga Le Cagole Boot Bag – US $3,250

Balenciaga and odd handbags always go hand in hand. But their Le Cagole Boot Bag takes bizarre to a whole new level. Their previous trash bag handbag might have made headlines for a while, but we can assure you, that didn’t look half as outlandish as this boot bag. Available in bright neon yellow and black, the boots are made from crinkled calfskin leather with aged-silver hardware, a removable zipped pouch, a removable heart mirror, and an inner zipped pocket.

Bottega Veneta Brown Bag – US $1,900-2,500

Before the silicone bubble wrap bag, Bottega Veneta gave the world the iconic brown paper(less) bag. Despite its paper-like appearance, the bag is crafted entirely out of calfskin and lined with suede. The design is as simple as it gets, an open design with one single compartment, and drop handles resembling those on the cost-free paper bags. The design is available in two different sizes, a small one priced at US $1,500, and a medium one priced at US $2,500.

Louis Vuitton Paint Can Bag – US $2,400

While not exactly the oddest-looking design, this paint can inspired bag from Louis Vuitton is still pretty quirky. LV unveiled this quirky design as part of its Men’s Fall/Winter 2022 collection and quickly became fodder for memes. The bag comes in six eye-grabbing colours chosen from the late designer Virgil Abloh’s signature palette. It comes with a metal handle up top resembling the handle on paint cans and has enough space to hold your phone and other personal items.

Solitude Studios Seaweed Bag – US $1,168

Solitude Studios really went to the far end of the ocean to deliver this raggedy, seaweed-inspired handbag. Apart from its strange, unappealing appearance, the bag comes from a good conscience. Made in-house, from leftover threads bought from textile production companies, the bag features a fringe detailing all over to create the appearance of a large chunk of seaweed.

YSL Take-Away Box Bag – US $1,890

If you loved your McDonald’s Happy Meal as a child, then YSL’s takeaway box bag will certainly bring you happy memories. Absurd yet appealing, the bag is like the perfect lunchbox crafted from calfskin leather, with silver-tone metal YSL initials, an interior patch pocket and a suede lining. The outside is designed exactly like a cardboard takeaway box and is covered with monogram embossing; the bag is available in black and camel brown and looks exactly like the portable lunch box of McDonald’s Happy Children’s Meal.

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