ON BRAND: Just a stone’s throw from the street hawkers and souvenir shops of the Rue de Rivoli, there’s a new destination for collectors of branded trinkets and memorabilia heading to Paris over the summer.
Balenciaga has put its irreverent touch on a range of souvenir items, hoping to capture the mood — and perhaps the crowds — flocking to Paris over the summer for the Olympic Games.
The collection includes souvenir mugs, snow globes, umbrellas, padlocks and T-shirts, for instance.
A broad selection of items will be offered at the brand’s Rue Saint-Honoré boutique, which has also set up a dedicated window installation for the occasion, to be on show through September. Certain items are on sale in selected stores worldwide, as well as on the brand’s website.
Visitors will be able to snap up the “I (heart) Paris & Balenciaga” mug for 75 euros, the Balenciaga baguette fridge magnet, priced at 95 euros, or an Eiffel Tower key chain crafted from brass, zamak and steel, for 595 euros.
The Balenciaga baguette fridge magnet. / Courtesy
Also new for summer, Balenciaga is tapping into the sporting mood of the season with items in its Balenciaga Objects range, including a game of pétanque, beach towels and a branded racket game, for instance.
The Kering-owned brand is no stranger to usurping and putting its stamp on everyday objects. Back in 2017, creative director Demna sent a leather carryall mimicking one of Ikea’s distinctive blue bags down the runway, the Arena design that remains in its catalogue today.