Balenciaga is selling a simple black tie for an eye-watering £250.
The Spanish luxury fashion house has become known for its wacky and unconventional designs – but seemed to disappoint with the mediocrity of one recent item.
The ‘men’s tie in black’ is being sold for £250 – but appears to be nothing more than a regular tie.
Meanwhile, Asda sells a far cheaper alternative for £5, with the added benefit that it can go in the washing machine, while the Balenciaga tie must be dry cleaned.
Bizarre pictures on Balenciaga’s website show a model donning the tie while wearing a blindfold, with the tie itself difficult to make out on a navy shirt. Another strange image shows a crumpled up version of the tie.
Balenciaga is flogging what appears to be a simple black tie for an eye-watering £250 on its website
Balenciaga is flogging what appears to be a simple black tie for an eye-watering £250 on its website
The tie on sale on trendy clothing brand Balenciaga’s website is made in Italy, and out of lyocell, a plant-based fabric made from wood pulp.
The cheaper supermarket version is machine-washable and 100 per cent polyester at £245 less.
Balenciaga described the item as: ‘Tie in black fluid cellulosic poplin. We are committed to the sustainable and ethical management of our operations.
‘The goal of reducing our environmental impact influences our decisions.
‘At all levels and in all locales-whether at offices and stores or along the supply chain-we respect high standards for social and ecological responsibility.
‘Balenciaga is also fur- and exotic leather-free.’
Bizarre pictures on Balenciaga’s website show a model donning the tie while wearing a blindfold, with the tie itself difficult to make out on a navy shirt
Meanwhile, Asda sells a far cheaper alternative for £5, with the added benefit that it can go in the washing machine
Another strange image showed a crumpled up version of the tie, apparently having been worn
Meanwhile Asda’s description simply stated: ‘Regular fit, matte finish, machine washable.’
Despite all odds, the tie seems to be popular, with the website showing only one remaining in stock.
Tesco and Sainsbury’s also sell a black tie for £5, with the neck garment selling on Amazon for as little as £2.50.
Balenciaga is known for its wacky designs. Last November, it started selling a skirt that looked like a towel wrapped around the wearer for £695.
The design was later mocked by Dame Kelly Holmes on Loose Women, who modelled a £20 towel on the show.
Dame Kelly Holmes previously sported a cheap dupe of Balenciaga’s £695 Towel Skirt
The brand came under fire after asking shoppers to come up with almost £700 for what looks like a towel wrapped around the waist (Pictured: Balenciaga Towel Skirt for £695)
The fashion line is popular with A-listers like Kim Kardashian and England and Man City ace Jack Grealish.
It faced a backlash in 2022 for an advertising campaign showing children holding bondage-clad teddy bear handbags.
Unsurprisingly, the campaign images caused a stir among parents on social media – who branded them ‘creepy’ and ‘uncomfortable’.
FEMAIL has reached out to Balenciaga for comment.
