A Teen Received a $1,090 Balenciaga Bag for Her Birthday, and X Has Thoughts

A video shared to X by @JebraFaushay shows an unidentified teenager unboxing a $1,090 Balenciaga Le City Leather Pouch as a birthday gift.

The girl, who @JebraFaushay's caption describes as 13 years old, is not otherwise identified in the post.

"When I was 13, I was overjoyed to receive a Swatch watch for my birthday," @JebraFaushay wrote in the caption. "This thirteen-year-old, with her nails, hair, and makeup all in place, just got a $1,090 luxury Balenciaga LeCity Leather Pouch for her birthday. Times have changed."

The teenager described turning down both a party and a trip in favor of the bag, which she said she had wanted for years. "I've literally talked about them for so long to my mom," she said in the video. "My mom knows this. I've wanted this for so long. I really have. And I cried when I got the bag."

She unboxed the bag on camera, describing its color and saying it smelled 'like a leather car interior.' "She is so cute, I am obsessed with this bag," she said.

"She's all unboxed and she's beautiful." She added that the bag came with a crossbody strap but that she prefers shoulder bags.

"I'm gonna be wearing this 24/7," she said. "I just wanted to say that I'm so, so, so grateful for this bag."

Viewers on X were divided between criticizing the gift as excessive and the brand itself. One commenter focused on the makeup. "I had a rule with my girls, no makeup till you're 18," the commenter wrote. "It's ludicrous for a 13-year-old [sic] girl to be wearing ANY makeup let alone this much. Crazy."

Another commenter talked about teaching kids the value of hard work. "You know what would have made that special? If the kid went out, worked, and saved to buy it," the commenter wrote. "Then she'd learn something about earning what you want instead of mommy buying it. I haven't seen a kid mow a lawn or shovel a driveway in years."

In November 2022, Balenciaga released two holiday ad campaigns — one featuring children holding teddy bears dressed in bondage harnesses and costumes, and another that included paperwork associated with child pornography laws, according to the Vanguard Think Tank's analysis.

One user referenced this controversy in their comment. "Balenciaga is a pedophilic brand that targets girls exactly her age," they wrote.

According to CNN, the brand pulled both campaigns, underwent internal restructuring of its image department, and announced a partnership with the National Children's Alliance. No criminal charges against the brand or its leadership were filed in connection with the campaigns.

The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify all details described in this video, including the age and identity of the teenager featured. The details above reflect the account as shared on X by @JebraFaushay, alongside reporting from CNN regarding Balenciaga's 2022 advertising controversy. Balenciaga was not contacted for comment on this specific video.