We didn’t see luxury fashion brand Balenciaga releasing a metal collection in our 2024 bingo card, but here we are. In fact, the line, titled “DIY Metal,” totally rips off some obscure metal band logos.
The set of high-end items includes socks, hats, backpacks and bags, wallets, shoes, jackets, T-shirts, long sleeves and more. The prices range from $150 for the socks to $8,850 for a hooded bomber jacket. Those items, and everything else in between, feature the Balenciaga logo in varying fonts — all of which very, very closely resemble the logos of some different metal bands, including Atrophy, Bathory and Cradle of Filth.
In a post promoting the collection on Facebook, the brand wrote, “The New Series introduces ready-to-wear and accessories, among which Le Cagole bags decorated with a hand-drawn design that repeats the name Balenciaga in fonts inspired by doodles—lovingly sketched as if on a notebook by a superfan or someone with a crush. A large stole also integrates one of these new logomarks, reminiscent of fantasy titles or metal band branding, in contrasting fleece.”
Check out images of some of the items below, and see if you can identify all of the band logos that inspired them.
Believe it or not, though, Balenciaga and metal actually do have a bit of history. In April of 2021, the brand partnered with German industrial giants Rammstein for an exclusive line of merch, which featured hoodies, shirts, hats, bags and a raincoat.
They also became an official playlist curator on Apple Music as Balenciaga Music. Creative director Demna Gvasalia made the first playlist himself, which included several Rammstein songs. The band then got to create the subsequent playlist, making them the first group to actually curate one for Balenciaga Music.
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Then, in the spring of 2022, Slipknot’s Clown attended Balenciaga’s spring fashion show in New York City with his wife Chantel Crahan, where he wore an all-black outfit complete with his silver We Are Not Your Kind mask.
Sure, Balenciaga’s new metal line is cool if you have the money to spend. But you don’t have to drop $825 on a metal T-shirt when you can spend less than $30 on one from the Loudwire Merch store. Check out our whole collection at this location.
Balenciaga DIY Metal Socks – $150
Balenciaga DIY Metal Backpack – $2,950
Balenciaga DIY Metal Sneakers – $1,250
Balenciaga DIY Metal T-Shirt – $825
Balenciaga DIY Metal Small Pouch – $795
Balenciaga DIY Metal Denim Jacket – $2,050
Balenciaga DIY Metal Baseball Cap – $495
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Gallery Credit: Lauryn Schaffner