Balenciaga will tag your bag with graffiti, but of course it'll cost you

Luxury seems to go hand in hand with exclusivity, and nothing is as exclusive as a custom piece. Following the success of last year’s customized bag campaign, Balenciaga has launched a similar customization service to its clients. At select store locations, graffiti artists will tag a bag made custom for you, so no one can copy your style.

Though COVID cases are on the rise like never before, Balenciaga insists that these customizations be done in person. For the luxury brand, part of the process is the actual experience — picking out your colors, seeing what you want spray-painted, and meeting the artists (hopefully at a six-foot distance). The in-person attraction only makes the bags more exclusive. YOLO, I guess?

Spray-painted style — With these personalized purses, Balenciaga gives streetstyle a new meaning. Graffiti is no longer reserved for the walls of the city. Instead, it now hangs off your shoulder in a chic yet casual fashion.

Select leather goods, including Balenciaga’s bags, card wallets, and phone holders, will be available for personalization. I’d recommend going with the phone holder, since it’ll probably be the cheapest product to personalize and it’s the item you’ll be seen with the most. What better way to store and carry your prized possession than within another prized possession?

All goods come in base shades of red, fuchsia, black, white, or gray, allowing your tag to be seen clearly. Then once you’ve selected the item you’d like to vandalize, choose how. The artist will spray-paint your first name, your city’s name, or “Balenciaga” in graffiti-style. Maybe stick to something short, especially if you’re picking a smaller product. Might I suggest “Input?”

No matter what name you label your item with, you’re bound to end up with a beautiful statement piece that’s unique to you and the artist that decorated it. They’ll use blue, white, or black paint to spell out your choosing in an artful manner. Just make sure you don’t want to resell the item before the artist permanently spray-paints your name on it.

Sooo exclusive — Now, cue the disappointment. U.S. residents can only score the bag through a proxy, as all events are taking place in China. Just another reason you can curse Trump’s poor handling of the virus. The in-person service is scheduled to run from December 3 to 6 at Hong Kong’s K11 MUSEA and December 10 to 13 at the city’s Landmark Mall.

What you can score in America, though, is Balenciaga’s “I Love Pets” T-shirt collection. Yeah… cue that Squidward meme. You know the one.