People can’t decide whether Balenciaga’s new $925 bath towel skirt is an example of clever marketing or just a ploy to wipe wallets. The unparalleled high fashion house, piloted by long-time creative director Demna Gvasalia, regularly releases peculiar designs, made to look beaten down and wrecked, with purposeful outlandish price tags – see its $1,850 fully destroyed sneakers or $1,800 trash bag tote. But this particular pick from the brand’s Spring 2024 collection sparked widespread debate online as soon it became available for pre-order on 14 November. A $927 terry-cloth towel, fashioned to be a wrap skirt, comes after the Georgian designer faced backlash for a controversial 2022 holiday ad featuring children holding teddy bears in leather bondage. Following the extensive criticism, Demna said he planned on tapping into his “roots in fashion as well as to the roots of Balenciaga, which is making quality clothes – not making image or buzz”. He told Vogue his plan in February a few weeks ahead of his fall 2023 debut. But while the designer intended to find motivation from Balenciaga founder Cristóbal moving forward, this quirky bathroom garment prompted further conversation about the brand’s continued desire to offer “absurd” luxury items. One riled up fashion enthusiast took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to make a larger generalisation. “This is absurd, These brands will sell anything and everything at such ridiculously high prices,” they wrote. “Balenciaga is so unserious,” another critic commented, while someone else said: “I’ll say it again... Balenciaga is conducting an experiment. It’s a behavioral science study. You can’t convince me otherwise.” Amid the flock of immediate criticism, brand supporters pointed out the platform and intended buyers Balenciaga targets. “In economics we’d say they are discovering the true demand curve. They are checking their customer base to see how elastic they are. If it’s a fairly inelastic demand curve of which it’s very likely to be. They won’t lose anything by being selling s*** like this, in actual fact…” one person wrote. “I need customers like theirs,” another fan proclaimed. One candid reviewer wrote: “What kind of madness is this? At least I’m not their target market.” Other X users added remarks about how they could make their own towel skirt with their fluffy fabric at home. “I already got a towel skirt, it cost $10 and it’s from Walmart,” one individual commented. Playing off the high-end fashion brand’s current visibility, Ikea, the Swedish homewares and furniture brand, dropped a similar advertisement, highlighting its $10 VINARN bath towel. In promotional photos, a model could be seen with the towel wrapped around his waist, layered over a pair of construction pants. On top, the man donned a common Balenciaga identifier with a black hoodie and wrap-around moto sunglasses. Read More Women’s scarves and crocheted ties - what is Robert Peston wearing now? McDonald’s and Crocs collaborate on new Grimace shoes Jacob Elordi reveals why he always carries a purse Women’s scarves and crocheted ties - what is Robert Peston wearing now? McDonald’s and Crocs collaborate on new Grimace shoes Jacob Elordi reveals why he always carries a purse

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Jake Paul will box another UFC star today as he faces Nate Diaz. YouTube star Paul has gone 6-1 as a professional boxer in recent years, and the 26-year-old holds wins over ex-UFC champions Tyron Woodley and Anderson Silva – including a knockout of the former – and a KO of Ben Askren, who was also an MMA champion before joining the UFC. Now the American, who was outpointed by Tommy Fury in February, goes up against fan favourite Diaz, who left the UFC in September and is making his boxing debut here. Diaz, 38, holds a special place in the hearts of many mixed martial arts fans, and he became a crossover star in 2016 when he submitted Conor McGregor. With that victory, as well as his submission of Tony Ferguson in his final UFC fight last year, Diaz showed off his immense jiu-jitsu skills. However, the American is also known for his impressive cardio and resilience, and he will look to use those against his younger opponent. Here’s all you need to know. We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. When is the fight? Paul vs Diaz will take place at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, on Saturday 5 August. The main card is due to begin at 1am BST on Sunday 6 August (5pm PT, 7pm CT, 8pm ET on Saturday). Ring walks for the main event are then expected at around 4am BST on Sunday (8pm PT, 10pm CT, 11pm ET on Saturday). How can I watch it? The event will air live on the streaming platform Dazn. It will be available to existing subscribers, and it will also be purchasable on Dazn Pay-Per-View for non-subscribers – at a cost of £14.99. A Dazn subscription is available to purchase here, with monthly plans starting at £9.99. In the US, the fight will also be available to watch on ESPN+. Odds Paul – 1/3 Diaz – 3/1 Draw – 14/1 Via Betway. Full card (subject to change) Jake Paul vs Nate Diaz (cruiserweight) Amanda Serrano (C) vs Heather Hardy 2 (undisputed women’s featherweight titles) Shadasia Green vs Olivia Curry (women’s super-middleweight) Ashton Sylve vs William Silva (lightweight) Alan Sanchez vs Angel Beltran Villa (welterweight) Kevin Newman II vs Quilisto Madera (middleweight) Chris Avila vs Jeremy Stephens (super-middleweight) Noel Cavazos vs Jose Aguayo (welterweight) Luciano Ramos vs Cee Jay Hamilton (super-lightweight) Read More KSI vs Tommy Fury: When is fight and how to watch Justin Gaethje stuns Dustin Poirier with brutal head-kick knockout at UFC 291 Terence Crawford’s masterclass puts him in conversation to be an all-time great What time does Jake Paul vs Nate Diaz start tonight? How to watch Jake Paul vs Nate Diaz online and on TV tonight Jake Paul’s latest fight is not about Jake Paul

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