Within the past few years fashion has welcomed all new ideas and styles and deemed them luxury. The new, shiny Wirkin’ bag from Walmart is no different.

The Wirkin bag is the latest fantasy fashion girl item, coming in 13 different colors and made with real leather and sold at none other than Wal- Mart.com.  Right before Christmas, a Tik Tok creator, StyledByKristi, went viral for unboxing her Wal-Mart Birkin with 9M views.  As she takes off the layers of tissue paper and unveils the similarities to the real thing, she makes a comment that encapsulates why this bag has piqued the interest of so many: “$80 bucks, you can pretend that you got a Birkin.”  This reveals the line between the  larger mystique of luxury goods and the accessibility of luxury dupes just to pull off a “look” and “play dress up.”

Dupes are not a replacement for any heritage brand, however they can serve as a tool in the aspirationalism that keeps these brands relevant. The American consumer likes a lot of variety in their personal presentation, bags are no exception to this preference. For the everyday American, an invitation to buy the real thing after spending an undisclosed amount beforehand[the rule Hermes has traditionally had for the purchase of a Birkin] is not feasible. 

The supporting role that the Birkin played in the HBO series, “Sex in the City” is what has given the bag its allure to the everyday person. There are many women who want their Carrie Bradshaw moment and cosplay as a New York based journalist with a great wardrobe. In her Vogue interview, Sarah Jessica Parker admitted the blue Birkin she famously wore was actually a fake!  So even the IT GIRL has at least one documented dupe in her past.  

Arguably, duped items could be a positive for the brand as its a sign what’s in the highest demand.  In the 1980s and 90s in New York, a group named the Lo Life’s-a Brooklyn-based group of young men who stole and wore Polo Ralph Lauren clothing in the 1980s, helped establish the brand as a staple of urban culture. Ironically, the items that the Lo Life’s stole, became a measure for what was going to do well. Although the RL employees and Lo Life’s  never met, it gave RL a leg up without doing any formal research. As RL remains important,  what could have posed as a major issue to the brand ended up being to its greatest advantage.  This sentiment could be said about dupes.  Although it’s not the real thing, the dupe helps people to feel included in the luxury process and remain fans of the brands without the real item.

Youtube review of Walmart Birkin
Hermes FINALLY has a Competitor!?

The demand for the Walmart Birkin remains to be high. As of today, the Walmart Birkin is no longer on Walmart.com. However, people are still selling other Birkin dupes on TikTok Shop such as, TOOT Bags, and BESTSPR. Ecommerce has become an unlimited Canal Street-a street in New York that sells a lot of dupes. Amazon has its dupe of the Kelly Bag, another Hermes invite only purse starting at $26.29.  Another popular bag Bottega’s Long Andiamo is also being duped on Amazon for only $79.99. In 2025, the counterfeit industry has an estimated valuation of $2Trillion, neck and neck with the luxury industry at large.  There is a heavy demand for these goods and it may never stop. The US alone accounts for 15.8% for online shopping globally, ranking fifth in the world behind, China, Indonesia, UK and South Korea.

 

Whether you’re a person who is in agreement or disdain for the industry of dupes, its safe to say that they aren’t going anywhere. But either big luxury brands! So Happy Shopping!

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