Balenciaga teams with Alipay on US$650 T-shirt, prompting social media ridicule
- Spanish luxury fashion brand Balenciaga has introduced a 4,700 yuan T-shirt that displays only its own name and the Alipay logo
- The surprise team-up between led to jokes on social media, with Weibo users referring to it as ‘the most expensive corporate uniform’
Spanish luxury fashion brand Balenciaga’s latest offering is a 4,700 yuan (US$650) T-shirt in collaboration with Chinese mobile payment platform Alipay, sparking discussions and chaff on Chinese social media.
The short-sleeved, oversized garment – which is unisex in design – only comes in two sizes and one colour, black. The iconic Balenciaga print is brandished in white across the front with the Chinese character zhi – the logo of Alipay – sitting just to the left of it.
The limited edition shirt went on sale on Balenciaga’s online store in mainland China after being unveiled at the fashion brand’s Spring Summer 2025 show in Shanghai on Thursday night. It also hit shelves at some bricks-and-mortar shops on Friday.
The collaborative fashion item will only be available in mainland China, according to Balenciaga.
