Mass Elitism: Starting with the Birkin

Who knew Karl Largerfeld's idea of Mass Elitism would come true so soon? Bringing luxury to the masses. I used to think only Karl had the ability to do that, but it doesn't seem to be the case. There's a huge Hermes Birkin bag fettish all over the world right now and when I looked farther into it, there's actually quite a few sources. The basic idea is to print the Hermes Birkin bag on a canvas bag, thus everyone can get Birkin bags at cheap and affordable price(plus the environmental damage caused by dying leather bags would also be lowered and canvas bags can be made of organic materials). So there you have it, low prices, environmentally friendly and very classy and stylish. Here are three sources I've found so far.

Banana Taipei

in French Honey Camel

From Taiwan, this bag reaching the hands of fans all over East Asia. I would know because I just helped my aunt get one. We put in an order for a Supper Champagne Grey one late December and it finally reached us earlier this week. I had actually seen it on the streets earlier but decided not to buy one after finding it in nearby boutiques. The good thing about it is that the size is similar to the original Hermes Birkin, great for school, books and A4 files, the handle is also printed on, theres a magnetic button inside, and there are ten colors to choose from. But on the minus side, you have to be really careful about keeping it clean if you buy a light colored one. The price is around 400RMB to 590HKD including shipping in the East Asia area(I'm not sure about the price in Taipei).

Picture from: Facebook Banana Taipei

Official Site: bananataipei.com

TATA Baby Birkin

From Japan, this is the one that's REALLY hard to get a hold of. I can't even find an official site. I know it's from Japan for sure and available for purchase at a boutique called Liger in Hong Kong. There's quite a few pro's about the TATA Baby Birkin: the material is waterproof, the printing is very detailed, there are various sizes and colors, and there's an extra cross shoulder strap! But on the other hard, the TATA Baby Birkin is the most expensive of the three options. I've flipped around and found that auction sites are selling them at 3400HKD and my aunt gave me a heads up saying it around 3000HKD

Picture from: Savvy Mode

Thursday Friday Together Bag

in Blue

From the US, this is a much more simple version compared to the Banana Taipei and TATA. Nonetheless, it conveys a similar message. Three colors: red, blue, and camel. Available online for 35USD and ships everywhere (which is REALLY convenient for people in the US, Canada, or Europe because the other two do not ship that far yet). It's similar to the large original Hermes Birkin size. The longer straps are easier to through over your shoulder.

Picture from the Official Site: ThuFri website

So, what would you say?

Yes or no to a new canvas look-a-like Hermes Birkin?

As awesome as it is, I think I'll keep looking first.

All for now!

Delilah