Chinese actress Zhang Jingyi stirred a huge buzz online after images from the Beijing International Film Festival red carpet began circulating showing her carrying a plain yellow plastic bag instead of a typical luxury clutch or evening accessory.

The 26-year-old actress looked chic in a black dress. However, rather than her glamorous look, her rather plain handbag became the talk of the event.

Some fans even compared her bag to the luxury brand Balenciaga Trash Pouch. It is a luxury handbag designed to look exactly like a disposable plastic garbage bag. It was first introduced by creative director Demna Gvasalia during the brand's Winter 2022 360° collection. This bag costs USD 1,800.

While speaking about the ‘luxury trash bag’ during an interview, Demna said, “Couldn't miss an opportunity to make the most expensive trash bag in the world, because who doesn't love a fashion scandal?”

Social media users joked, mocked, and shared memes about how something so mundane could be part of a glamorous carpet look — calling it everything from “irony chic” to pure absurdity in fashion.

“Zhang Jingyi flexing a $1,790 Balenciaga bag… Meanwhile, the world: That's our grocery bag,” a social media user wrote on X.

However, later, fact‑checks clarified that the bag Zhang carried wasn’t a literal luxury pouch nor just random trash — it was a regular yellow plastic bag. According to some reports, the choice was symbolic, linked to her character and storytelling from her recent film rather than a designer stunt.