The Bag That Broke The Internet (And No, It Wasn’t A Balenciaga)

A Chinese actress brought a $1,790 plastic bag to the red carpet. Except it wasn’t $1,790. And it wasn’t even a Balenciaga. And that’s actually the most interesting part of the story.

When Zhang Jingyi stepped onto the red carpet of the Beijing International Film Festival dressed to the nines – black gown, minimal jewelry, pure elegance. She looked every bit the part of a celebrated actress at one of Asia’s most prestigious film events.

And then people noticed the bag.

If you’ve gone through social media, you’ve probably seen it – the now famous yellow plastic bag. The kind that you can easily get when you go buy your pisang goreng at your neighbourhood pasar malam. And just like that, the internet blew up. And as netizens usually do, they began to theorise. What followed was a full-blown fashion scandal.

And the theory that eventually took hold? It’s a Balenciaga.

A Theory That Actually Had Weight

The theory stuck because it wasn’t baseless. The $1,790 price tag was accurate. In 2022, Balenciaga did release a yellow colour bag that may look like a plastic bag, but it’s not. That bag was actually made of calfskin leather. And if you look close enough, it’s not really the bag Zhang Jingyi was holding, is it?

It was so believable, not many people actually considered diving deep into it. It was a no-brainer. Because that’s how Balenciaga has branded themselves. 

This then brings back the age old adage: Don’t believe everything you see on the internet.

What Made People Realise It Wasn’t A Balenciaga

There was a fact that was drowned out by the never-ending memes on the internet. In a translated clip shared online, Zhang Jingyi addressed the bag directly at a press appearance: “This plastic bag… it’s a secret in the movie! This secret will only be known if you go to the cinema to see it.”

So yes, it was intentional for her to do it. But it wasn’t a fashion statement. It was to promote the character for her upcoming film. According to various sources, the yellow plastic bag does play a very significant role in the plot for her film, The One.

Today, Attention Is The Currency That Matters Most

If you hadn’t heard of Balenciaga before this, you have now. The brand has spent years building a reputation for luxury items that are, by design, absurd. Because they understand that in the age of social media, the one who commands the most attention wins. 

So when an actress goes on the red carpet with something as absurd as unexpected as a yellow plastic bag – the brain automatically zooms into it and starts creating theories. And who owns the space for absurd fashion statements? Balenciaga. Which is exactly why no one questioned it. 

Could Balenciaga have orchestrated this? Very possible. It could be a clever ploy from their marketing team. Valid theory. But it could easily be a jokester trolling the internet. Heck, it could just be your average joe down the street who once saw the yellow bag Balenciaga previously released and thought it was the same thing.

The Real Mastermind – Zhang Jingyi

Whether she did it intentionally or not, she broke the internet with her elegance. Think about it. Whose face did you see everywhere on the internet? Zhang Jingyi. And now that multiple sources have come out to clarify the symbolism of the bag, what did they find? The One – a film that Zhang Jingyi is acting in. And what are people who are too curious about the plastic bag going to do? Watch that exact film Zhang Jingyi is acting in.

Absolute class, Zhang Jingyi. Well played. You win liao lo.