This Bizarre Pasta-Inspired Handbag Has Twitter Freaking Out

Pasta-loving fashionistas are about to make a next-level sartorial statement with a bold carb-inspired bag that is taking the internet by storm. Made in the image of a Barilla pasta box, an eye-catching limited-edition leather handbag has gone viral online — and it's the talk of the food and fashion worlds.

After images of the quirky handbag were uploaded to Twitter with the jokey caption, "someone: is that—, me: the new limited edition pasta handbag? Yeah, yeah it is," the tweet went viral, gaining over 220,000 likes and more than 25,000 retweets in less than 24 hours. Since then, swaths of pasta aficionados have taken to Twitter to share their admiration for the unique accessory. 

The statement-making handbag in question is the work of Nikolas Bentel, an artist and designer who "creates products and performances that engage viewers to reimagine their everyday objects," according to his website. Bentel, who graduated with a dual degree from the prestigious Brown University and Rhode Island School of Design, "has been commissioned by brands to create exciting, strange, and engaging experiences using alternate forms of product design, advertising and performance art." However, the Barilla bag doesn't appear to be a brand commission, but rather a product of Bentel's own creative ideation.

In an interview with Input Magazine, Nikolas Bentel shared that the concept for the handbag came to him while staring at his "100th bowl of penne pasta" while in quarantine. "During the most brutal months of the pandemic, just about everyone had a similar experience of staring at the box of pasta, so why not try to reimagine the box's purpose into something a little more exciting," Bentel added.

The pasta-inspired handbag, which uses real leather and UV printing to recreate the design of a Barilla penne box, is accentuated with gold accents, a leather handle, and a chunky gold chain for crossbody wear. While there has been no short supply of attention and fanfare over the carbohydrate-friendly fashion statement, sales of the Barilla bag will be limited to 100 units only. The limited-edition bag, which is priced at $199, will officially go on sale on August 11 at 10 a.m., but is available for pre-order via Bentel's website.

Although Bentel says that no additional units of the Barilla bag will be produced following the initial run, the artist will continue to produce new works in his "storytelling projects" series, with new product drops every few weeks. There's no telling where Bentel's imagination will take him — or which fun, food-themed items could be next.