Perhaps nothing has been as carefully guarded in the luxury space as the elusive Hermés Birkin bag. Quantities are so limited that to purchase one, shoppers must first get on a years-long wait list, and then garner a relationship with a sales associate who might eventually offer a style that becomes available. Then there’s the $12,000 price tag.
Just before the holidays, Walmart.com listed a remarkably similar bag for under $100 that the internet dubbed a “Wirkin.” TikToker Kristi Stephens posted an innocuous-seeming unboxing that broke then internet (9 million views and counting), sparking a debate over dupe culture, the worth of luxury, and even classicism in society.
@styledbykristi Walmart Birkin. Thanks for the recommendation @Jessi My ♬ original sound – StyledByKristi
Want to purchase one? Unfortunately, you’ve missed your chance, as the bag was recently taken off of Walmart’s website. And many who were waiting for their shipment report their order was canceled, likely over intellectual property issues. As we know in the footwear industry, knock-offs are far from new, so why did the Wirkin strike such a nerve?
“There are a couple of reasons,” explains Liza Amlani, Principal and Co-Founder of Retail Strategy Group. “First there’s the entire dupe culture making headway on TikTok and Instagram. Then there was the marketing frenzy behind the dupe Birkin. The amount of views on that initial TikTok is wild.” Importantly, Amlani notes a cultural shift in fashion as a whole. “We have these influencers weighing in: Do you have to pay for luxury? Should you?”
Then, there’s the striking contrast. Hermés only crafts a few Birkin bags, and they’re handmade with beautiful leathers and trims. “It’s the very opposite of what a knock-off stands for, but we’re not on Canal Street anymore,” she says. “And there’s no shame against having a fake now. Because it’s accessible, it’s acceptable.”
In a TikTok post, Real Housewives star Bethany Frankel said, “This has broken some luxury glass ceiling.” Does that mean the death of luxury? “Oh no,” Amlani says. “We’re going to continue to see dupes and fakes, that’s not going away, but there will still be a luxury consumer, no matter how much product is in the marketplace.”
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There are multiple tiers to this segment, as well. “There’s the old money, quiet luxury type. That trend almost makes them feel more exclusive — only they know they’re wearing Loro Piana, for example,” she explains. “Then there’s the new money, tech-guru, influencer, type, who is OK with having big logos.” We’ll see this at play even more, Amlani notes, as conspicuous logos are coming back into fashion.
Though Hermés can’t slap a lawsuit on every imitation, many speculate it is at work to control the imposters. The designer won a $100 million judgement against fake Hermés websites in 2012.
“You see copycats across styles and silhouettes at every level,” Amlani says, citing the Gucci horsebit loafer that has been reimagined by the likes of Aldo and Steve Madden all the way up to private label by retailers who themselves carry Gucci. “It’s a matter of educating the consumer why they should or shouldn’t buy a brand. That’s where sustainability, ethics, and transparency becomes important.”
