The resale market has allowed more commoners to obtain these bags, but one’s image is now intricately linked to the bag’s condition.
A 33-year-old fashion enthusiast, Jenny Walton, said HERMÈS Birkin bags never go out of style. She believes a worn-out bag conveys a particular cool factor rather than merely flaunting one’s wealth. Jenny snidely remarked that reality TV stars and their ostentatious displays of pristine HERMÈS Birkin bags are pretty tacky.
Carrying an HERMÈS handbag that looks beat up, like this Birkin bag with faded corners, can suggest it is not simply being worn as a marker of status.Resee
Celebrities like Candice Bergen, Julia Fox, Danielle Steel, and Mary-Kate Olsen have all dared to use HERMÈS bags with visible signs of wear and tear, making them seem more approachable and less focused on material possessions. It’s a subtle way of saying, “I’m so fabulously wealthy that I don’t even care if my $10,000 bag looks like a used-car salesman’s briefcase.”
The iconic Birkin bag, released in 1984, was conceived during a chat between actress Jane Birkin and Jean-Louis Dumas, the CEO of HERMÈS at the time. Jane needed a bag to carry around her children’s belongings, and Dumas obliged. Who knew that such a mundane conversation would lead to the creation of one of the world’s most sought-after status symbols?
As Mr. Marx eloquently said, “It’s just a bag. Who cares if it’s beaten up?”
Even the Haut à Courroies bag, originally designed for transporting saddles and riding boots, has found a new life among the fashion elite. A well-loved version of the bag, once owned by fashion editor André Leon Talley, recently sold for a whopping $32,000 at a Christie’s auction.
W. David Marx, a luxury culture expert, claims that luxury items must possess an air of nonchalance to function as status symbols. A beat-up HERMÈS bag suggests that the owner isn’t merely using it to flaunt their wealth but rather appreciates it as a functional item.
As Mr. Marx eloquently said, “It’s just a bag. Who cares if it’s beaten up?”
The art director Ryan Reineck said that his Haut à Courroies bag’s imperfections give it character and “a history.”Ryan ReineckJane Birkin carrying her namesake HERMÈS bag, personalized with keychains, in 2009.Francois Durand/Getty Images
After all, it’s pretty gauche to parade around with a new bag, desperately seeking validation.
If you’re fortunate enough to own a HERMÈS Kelly or Birkin, embrace the snobbery and irony of a well-worn bag. After all, it’s pretty gauche to parade around with a new bag, desperately seeking validation. Simply put, a scuffed-up HERMÈS bag epitomizes high fashion irony.
“I didn’t know that I wanted the CHANEL 2.55 Double Flap Bag until I got the replica.”
Let’s unpack my latest arrival. I got the CHANEL 2.55 Classic Lamb Skin Double Flap. She is in size 30. The bag came in a CHANEL gift box with a very smooth, almost velvety to immediately give a feel of authenticity.
I also love that the box has magnetic closures. As I take the bag out of the plastic, I notice the dust cloth it came in. So cute. So pretty. And there you can see Lady Coco Chanel on the dust bag. I love that.
As I said, I ordered CHANEL 2.55 Classic size 30 lamb skin, double flap purse. It’s so pretty. I’m just taking the plastic off of that Double C CHANEL symbol. And as you can see, opening the bag with just the turn button is effortless. And yeah, they had the little paper inside to protect the bag, and I love that peekaboo burgundy flap that’s inside as well. But first, I like that it has a zipper on top, and you can place something small at the top of that flap.
In the back of the inside of the purse, you can stuff something down in there, maybe you put the chain to the bag and it won’t disrupt the main part of the bag. I love that burgundy. And this is your main compartment of the bag where you would put most of your items at right there. On the inside of the bag, it did come with two CHANEL cards. One was in an envelope. It carries the bag’s serial number, you will see inside the bag. as well.
You get a decent size front pouch in the front of the bag. I love that. This bag has so many different compartments for you to hold stuff. I love the CHANEL engraved into that leather with the burgundy peek-A-boo flap. The CHANEL logo is engraved into the gold hardware. There you have a pouch in the back of the purse. One of my favorite features of this bag is the adjustable strap, where you can take it from regular to long.
So as you can see, the bag is beautiful. I didn’t want the CHANEL Classic until I got it. I had no idea. I did not know what this bag was. As soon as I pulled it out of the box, I was like, this is an It bag. This is it the real stuff. She is it. She is everything. I love this bag. I love the quality.
I love the versatility of this bag. This bag has the most versatility out of any bag I’ve ever owned. I love the double straps.
Just push the strap up, and then you get that cross-body look. You can see, then you get that cross-body look. So cute, so elegant. I really should have put some pearls on today. But I love that look as well.
Also, if you want to do a clutch-style look, even though the flap bag is kind of big if you still want to do a clutch look, all you have to do is pull it through from the inside and make sure you got it tight enough. You’ve got that back pocket that you could use to put your straps in that won’t disrupt any of your options on the inside of where you’ll be putting your other belongings, and also with that front pocket up there as well. And don’t forget, you still have the top part that you can use for whatever you’d like to store in your bag also.
I love that it has a back pocket as well. You do not get any posts on the bottom of this bag. This is like a mirror image of the actual CHANEL bag.
I almost missed the gold square pieces in there, there with the CHANEL symbol. And it also has the serial number and the CHANEL symbol engraved into the gold hardware. A nice size, mid-size bag. And you can get this in a smaller bag if you’d like. You can get it. They do have them in smaller sizes. Whatever fits you, whatever fits your style. I am happy with this size 30.”
A scandal involving two HERMÈS – obsessed creators over counterfeit Birkin bags has led TikToker BirkinTrash to fess up and prepare for his ‘first cancellation’.
TikTok creator the HERMÈS Slayer exposed prominent TikToker BirkinTrash of re-selling counterfeit Birkins. Embarrassed luxury re-sell brand Fashionphile was forced to announce it is ending its relationship with BirkinTrash amid the scandal. BirkinTrash was forced into a confession this week as he toasted to his “first cancellation.”
BirkinTrash, aka Alex Pardoe, shows off a bag, and toasts to his cancellation.
A swath of TikTok is currently consumed by a controversy involving Birkin handbags – arguably the most expensive purses on earth, which are vended by the French luxury house Hermès, and cannot be purchased at will but by appointment.
The bags start at $9,000 when purchased in-store, per Sotheby’s, but are valued at multiples of that figure on the secondhand market — with rarer configurations in exotic animal skins re-selling for as much as six figures.
The drama kicked off when the Birkin whistleblower account on Instagram, The Fake Birkin Slayer, accused prominent TikToker @BirkinTrash of attempting to re-sell several fake Birkin bags earlier this week. @BirkinTrash, aka Alex Pardoe, a man who has amassed 212,000 followers on TikTok largely on the strength of his HERMÈS obsession, has since come out with a public confession.
In a TikTok he posted last week, Pardoe claimed he has happened upon fake Birkins over the ten years he’s been collecting them and has “tried to get rid of” the dupes. He added that he’s taken those questionable listings down.
Still, the accusations and admissions have sent a corner of TikTok that’s obsessed with following Hermès handbag content into a tailspin this week. Many are shocked, and continue to side-eye the creator despite his confession. A major luxury resellerannounced it has cancelled its partnership with Pardoe “after becoming aware of his statement regarding selling counterfeit bags.”
The Fake Birkin Slayer account, which has amassed 23,000 followers in a week, told Insider it’s important to them to out this behavior on social media because against the law.
“Counterfeiting funds many dark things,” an account holder, who wished to remain anonymous, said over Instagram DM. They added that the page was founded by a group who “have all been defrauded buying bags that were represented to be real.”
The popular Birkin TikToker BirkinTrash at the center of the scandal.
In a series of Instagram Stories shared on Monday, The Fake Birkin Slayer posted screenshots of several Birkin sale listings that it said were being offered by Pardoe on the mobile marketplace OfferUp. The listings included a red ostrich HERMÈS Birkin for $1,000 and a black HERMÈS crocodile bag for $5,000, which The Fake Birkin Slayer cross-referenced with bags Pardoe had showcased in his closet in a previous TikTok.
According to The Fake Birkin Slayer, Pardoe alluded in his listings that he was selling counterfeits, but even trying to sell them is a major no-no in the high end designer world.
Pardoe answered The Fake Birkin Slayer’s allegations soon after, confirming that he has listed fake Birkins for sale in the past.
“Selling counterfeits is illegal,” The Fake Birkin Slayer said to the pre. “Especially when you’ve crafted a persona that is quoted in magazines and allegedly sponsored by entities such as Fashionphile.”
Pardoe answered The Fake Birkin Slayer’s allegations soon after, confirming that he has listed fake Birkins for sale in the past, but then took down the listings a day later and donated them after having a “weird” feeling.
“In the 10 years that I’ve been collecting Hermès pieces — mostly preloved, up until a couple years ago — I have been sold non-authentic pieces. And that was my fault, ” he said in his TikTok confession that has 261,000 views. “I didn’t do my due diligence.”
Pardoe said that when he’s received fake bags in the past, he’s sought to “get rid of them,” despite the fact that he disagrees with the practice and its associations with “forced labor.” He then claimed he donated all of his counterfeits.
Pardoe did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.
Birkin fans on TikTok are undecided if the creator should be “cancelled”
Alex Pardoe BirkinTrash is a hairdresser by trade
While some TikTokers condemned Pardoe for his lack of integrity, with the TikToker @verifiedbluecheckmarc noting that the screenshots appeared to suggest that the listings were up for two months, others seemed confounded by the inanity of the saga.
“People are getting cancelled over handbags,” one commenter wrote. “I’m so done.”
As the drama unfolded publicly, fashion brand Fashionphile removed all recent content featuring Pardoe from its page. A representative for the company told Insider that it’s ceasing its partnership with him, as Fashionphile is built on “trust” and “authenticity.”
“As a luxury resale company built on consumer trust, authentication is the foundation of Fashionphile’s business,” the company said in a statement on Thursday. “We recently partnered with Alex Pardoe but have since removed the content after becoming aware of his statement regarding selling counterfeit bags on OfferUp. We would never knowingly be involved in any partnerships that compromise our values or question our integrity.”
But Pardoe appears to be taking the controversy in stride. “Alright ya’ll,” he said, holding a cocktail with some friends in a swimming pool in his most recent TikTok post. “Cheers to my first cancellation.”
Fake Luxury Shoe Store Prank proves Luxury is just Perception
What makes a product luxurious? Is it the quality of materials used or the craftsmanship involved? Or is it simply the brand image and the price tag? A recent PAYLESS Shoe Store prank suggests the answer is the latter.
PAYLESS rebranded their entire store and the name and significantly increased their prices; the results are fascinating.
PAYLESS, a low-priced footwear retailer in the US, rebranded its entire store and name for a weekend to test how much people would pay for their shoes if they didn’t know they were theirs. They built a fake luxury store called PALESSI, filled it with avant-garde sculptures and displays, hired an entire team of sales associates, and filled all the shelves with PAYLESS shoes, jacking up the prices by as much as 1800%.
Potential consumers were scouted from the streets and the Internet for social media influencers and fashionable people who looked likely to attend the event. Attendees purchased overpriced shoes, some for $200, $400, and $600, and were taken to the backroom, where the prank was revealed.
Consumers have been paying hugely inflated prices, some of the pleasures that we get from things that we buy come from the money we spent on them.”
Inside the PALESSI shoe store.
The results were fascinating. People were willing to pay hugely inflated prices for PAYLESS shoes simply because they were marketed as luxury items under the for this occasion invented brand name PALESSI. It shows that people care much more about the brand image and prices than the product and its quality.
This is not to say that all luxury brands are guilty of this. Some have legitimate reasons for their prices due to the high quality of materials used and the craftsmanship involved. A brand’s exclusivity is also marketed as a status symbol representing wealth and success. In many cases, the high prices of luxury items result from the market’s supply and demand.
People care a lot more about the brand image and, in some cases, the prices more so, than they do about the actual product and the quality of it.
Compliments are great, but would these fashionista influencer types open their wallets for our shoes? The PAYLESS team watched from the room backstage as the first customer approached the register. All celebrated the first sale, but then they witnessed more and more shoes selling. Shoes sold for 250, 400, and even $600.
Before they left, we let them know the shoes were from PAYLESS. Anyone who bought the shoes got them from PAYLESS as a gift, but we proved they could sell for over ten times the average PAYLESS price. Now anyone can come into PAYLESS and get these shoes for as low as 19.99.
People care a lot more about the brand image and, in some cases, the prices more so, than they do about the actual product and the quality of it. Even though this is nothing new, it makes you think more about the situation. So if we look at it in reverse and start with a luxury brand, for example, GUCCI, take a few of their products. For instance, you’ll see that the watch logo t-shirt or the Ace trainers are not luxury items. They’re just priced very highly. But because of GUCCI’s brand image, they’ll get categorized as luxury products, and many buyers buy into that.
This won’t be the case for every luxury brand, of course. Some have legitimate reasons for their prices due to the high quality of materials used and the craftsmanship involved. A brand’s exclusivity is also marketed as a status symbol representing wealth and success. In many cases, the high prices of luxury items result from the market’s supply and demand.
The debates surrounding luxury brand product quality and prices will continue forever.
However, the debates surrounding luxury brand product quality and prices will continue forever. Some argue that the high prices of luxury brands are unethical, as they often exploit the labor of workers in developing countries and perpetuate inequality. Critics also say that luxury goods marketing creates an unsustainable culture of overconsumption and waste.
On the other hand, some people argue that luxury brands are justified in charging high prices because they provide jobs and contribute to the economy. Others say that consumers have the right to spend their money on what they choose, including luxury items, and that the high prices reflect the value consumers place on the brand and its products.
In conclusion, the perception of luxury is not solely determined by its price tag, but by the overall value it holds for the consumer expressed through its brand identity, craftsmanship, and quality of materials. Whether or not the high prices of luxury brands are ethical and justified is a matter of perspective and values. It is important to understand that the value of a product is not just based on its price tag, but also on the emotional connection that consumers have with the brand identity and what it represents.
You can be sure these timeless luxury icons will never go out of style.
The luxury handbag world is vast, with both new handbag brands and new designs from storied luxury houses popping up season after season. Each year, there are countless silhouettes on the market, and consumers are blessed with more options than ever.
While consumers often pay attention to what’s new and trendy, demand will always remain for the tried and true classics – the ones that have stood the test of time. It’s those classics that have helped to shape fashion history contributing to the luxury accessory world we know (and love) today.
So whether you’re new to the world of designer bags and looking to purchase your first one, or are making it your goal to collect all of the classics, today we thought it would be fun to break day the 5 most luxury classic handbags in all of modern handbag history.
The HERMÈS Birkin
We’re kicking it off with one of the most elusive bags of handbag history, the unmistakeable HERMÈS Birkin.
If you love luxury handbags, you likely know the story of the Birkin’s creation, whether you own one or not. In the early 1980s, HERMÈS CEO Jean-Louis Dumas sat next to Jane Birkin on an airplane. In-flight, the duo discussed what would make a good carry-on bag after Jane Birkin was seen fumbling with hers.
One sketch on an airplane sick bag, and in 1984, the HERMÈS Birkin was born. To this day, it spawns waitlists and sells at a premium on the secondary market. It is still widely considered the world’s ultimate luxury bag.
LOUIS VUITTON Speedy
Like it or not, the LOUIS VUITTON Speedy will forever be classified as one of the most classic bags in handbag history, as well as one of the most recognisable. Dating back to the 1930s, the Speedy was conceptualized as LOUIS VUITTON’s first daily hauler and was largely based on another one of the brand’s classics: The Keepall. First introduced in the 30 size, the Speedy 25 was later added in 1959 at the request of none other than Audrey Hepburn. The actress was then photographed carrying her Speedy time and time again.
The Speedy’s range is vast, offering multiple sizes from ultra-petite to extra-large and a wide array of materials and colors. Of course, the brand’s monogram is ubiquitous and has an important history. The LOUIS VUITTON Monogram was already copyrighted in 1896 when it was invented by Louis Vuitton’s son Georges.
Combining Louis Vuitton’s initials with abstract floral shapes, the creation of LV Monogram was a radical move, as prior to this creation any initials typically seen on a trunk were usually the carrier’s own.
The Lady DIOR
The youngest handbag on our list, few other new handbag designs of the last 30 years have been able to stand the test of time in the way that the Lady DIOR has. However, it was basically destined to become handbag royalty since it was named after British royalty herself, the late Lady Diana, Princess of Wales. Few bags boast the versatility of the Lady DIOR, and its classic shape makes it an ageless icon.
Unmistakably DIOR, the Lady DIOR pays homage to the history of the House. While the bag’s charms are an ode to the lucky charms Christian Dior always kept with him, the staple Cannage motif traces back to the Napoleon III seats the House used to set up for guests at fashion shows. Reinvented season after season and forever a beloved choice for handbag lovers of any age, the Lady DIOR has cemented its place among other revered bags of its caliber.
Known by most as the CHANEL Classic Flap, the bag also goes by the CHANEL 11.12 and is one of the most widely recognizable handbags of all time. The name 11.12 comes from the original style code given by CHANEL to the Medium Classic Flap (A01112), the OG of the Classic Flap family. The original was derived from the CHANEL 2.55 bag and came to be what we know it as today in 1983, when Karl Lagerfeld added the now-signature interwoven CC turn lock to the bag.
Despite hefty price increases, the demand for the CHANEL Classic Flap shows no signs of slowing down. It has remained one of the handbag world’s most sought-after shapes thanks to its status, reinvented repeatedly.
GUCCI Bamboo
While not a specific bag exactly, GUCCI Bamboo deserves a place on this list as few elements of handbag history are as recognizable and inventive as the curved handles of Gucci Bamboo.
The patented method of creation was developed in 1947 by GUCCI craftsmen who realized there was a specific process to heat and bend bamboo in such a way that it would retain its shape once cooled.
The process is detailed and thorough, and you can be sure that each and every Bamboo piece used for a handbag has been hand-chosen by a specially trained artisan who will then mold the bamboo over a fire to bend it into shape. As the bamboo heats up, it softens, making it malleable.
Artisans have meticulously crafted GUCCI’s Bamboo Handles this way for generations. And while GUCCI Bamboo is easily one of the House’s most emblematic symbols, it also happens to be one of the handbag world’s most classic bags, remaining a mainstay for the House since the 1940s. A GUCCI Bamboo bag is one of the most timeless bags a handbag lover can buy.
