Balenciaga is best known for its luxury fashion products—but some of the brand’s offerings are a little bit on the strange side.
In a TikTok clip, which has amassed 168,700 views, airline worker Maddex (@maddexairline1) shared Balenciaga’s most unusual feat yet.
“This right here is a United Airlines bag tag,” he began, showing the paper tag to the camera. “How much do these cost? They’re free. You can get them as many as you want from United Check-in. They are free.”
Additionally, he went on to show viewers a screenshot from the Balenciaga website, which consisted of a blue airline tag labeled ‘priority.’
“You want to know how much it cost?” he asked. ” $335 for a paper thing you can get from United Airlines for free. Police? Right here.”
@maddexairline1 Balenciaga, you good #fyp #trending #fashiontok #balenciaga ♬ original sound – Maddex airlines
Why would people buy the tag?
Some commenters pointed out that, for some, the tag served as a status symbol. “It is a leather accessory from a name-brand fashion house,” one noted.”It’s not meant to replace the free paper one, but a subtle luxury flex. Wasn’t made for you quite honestly.”
“The sad part is people are actually gonna purchase the stupid thing and then get upset because their luggage is stolen,” a second wrote. “Well when you pay $335 for a sliver of paper to attach to your luggage that shows your bougie [expletive] I sure hope your [expletive] gets stolen.”
However, others argued that the tag was inherently useless. “As a baggage handler at an airport, if you’re checking a bag and think that tag will make me treat the bag a certain way, it’s getting tossed just like the others,” a third claimed.
While a fellow baggage handler echoed, “I’m a ramp agent it’s getting thrown I give no [expletive].” And a fifth quipped, “That ‘priority’ ain’t gonna get their bag faster.”
Balenciaga didn’t immediately respond to The Mary Sue’s request for comment via email. Maddex didn’t immediately respond to The Mary Sue’s request for comment via TikTok comment.
This isn’t unusual for Balenciaga
In a follow-up video, Maddex shared even more bizarre Balenciaga products, including a wallet/passport holder for $1,000, a roll of duct tape ‘bracelet’ for $1,190 and an empty spicy chilli chip bag with no chips for $2,050.
This isn’t the first time Balenciaga’s products have caused a stir. Back in August, the brand went viral for its waterproof Marché Packable Tote bag, which forms part of its Winter 2025 collection. The £750 ($986) item is made of pre-crinkled material, which is designed to mimic a well-used plastic bag.
Specifically, according to the Mirror, the bag is made of polyamide and Dyneema. In turn, Dyneema is a brand name for a material known as ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). The outlet also reports that the item can hold up to 10kg in weight.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
