Paris Fashion Week: Balenciaga Hello Kitty bags carried by male models

While Hello Kitty may once have been the reserve of young girls, times are changing, as was made abundantly clear in Balenciaga‘s Spring/Summer 2020 show at Paris Fashion Week.

The boundary-pushing fashion house had male models strut down the electric blue runway proudly sporting Hello Kitty handbags in bubblegum pink, white, and black at its show in the French capital on September 29.

The leather bags feature cat ears, lace details to look like whiskers, and of course, Hello Kitty’s trademark red bow.

And to ensure everyone knows these are not just any Hello Kitty bags, they feature a black satin lining protruding from the top of the bag, embroidered with “Balenciaga” written in white cursive.

Getty/Victor Virgile/Gamma-Rapho

The show was Balenciaga’s first since designer Demna Gvasalia took the reins after leaving his role at Vetements.

Read more: Models walked down the runway at Paris Fashion Week wearing buckets as hats and handbags

The entirely blue spiral runway, inspired by the European Parliament, according to the Evening Standard, was accompanied by eerie, foreboding music, harsh strip lighting, and cold air blasting throughout the room, Dazed reports.

YouTube/Balenciaga

You can watch the whole Balenciaga Spring/Summer 2020 show here:

The new Hello Kitty purses aren’t Balenciaga’s first foray into light-hearted bags: the design house famously created its own version of Ikea’s iconic blue plastic carrier bags in 2017 which cost $2,145 a pop.

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