The latest fashion house to send the internet into an outrage is none other than Balenciaga. Late last week the Spanish company released some new pieces from its latest season for sale, and one item in particular has caught Twitter’s attention - a pair of trompe-l’oeil sweatpants.
If you’re not familiar, trompe-l’oeil is another term for visual illusion in art; its use in fashion was popularized decades ago by designers like Elsa Schiaparelli, and it continues to show up today, although the latest Balenciaga version isn’t tasteful whatsoever.
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The fashion company has taken a pair of straight-leg, grey sweatpants and sewn in a pair of men’s boxers to be visible from the outside, imitating sagging - a fashion trend that was knowingly popularized by the Black community, who have received a ton of flack for dressing this way in the past.
As one may expect, Twitter is absolutely outraged by Balenciaga’s design. One person called it “tremendously racist” while several others noted that the brand is gentrifying sagging at the expense of the Black community.
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The fashion giant, which dressed Kim Kardashian in her unforgettable wedding gown for her appearance at Kanye West’s last DONDA event, is no stranger to controversy, and has been known to make Twitter users shake their heads more than once.
Would you pay $1,200 for Balenciaga’s trompe-l’oeil pants? Let us know below.
