Hermès iconic Birkin bag is no stranger to being duped − but one particular knock-off, available on Walmart, has become so viral that it has sold out.
The KAMUGO Genuine Leather Handbag for Women, available on Walmart’s website, is gaining attention on social media for its striking resemblance to Hermès coveted Birkin bags, which come with exorbitant price tags.
The bag, which is now being referred to as the “Walmart Birkin Bag,” is being seen as a budget-friendly alternative to the Hermès Birkin. However, the manufacturers of the bag have not marketed it or referred to it as a Birkin dupe.
Here’s what you need to know about the OG Hermès Birkin and its Walmart lookalike.
What is the ‘Walmart Birkin’ bag?
The “Walmart Birkin,” listed online as “KAMUGO Genuine Leather Handbags Purse for Women,” is priced between $78 to $102 and comes in three different styles and four colors including, green, orange, blue and iron gray. As of Monday, all variations were sold out online. Walmart did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for information on if and when they would be restocked.
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The bag, also being called the “Wirkin,” is described as a “large-capacity lychee pattern Kelly platinum bag,” and has a “classic temperament, noble European and American style,” according to the manufacturer’s description. It is made with genuine leather, with the first layer made with cowhide. Akin to the real Birkin, the Wirkin, also features a gold lock button, which the manufacturer says is to “increase the security of bag anti-theft.”
The bag has a customer rating of 4.7 stars out of five, as of Monday morning, and buyers, in their reviews, praised the bag’s quality and appreciated the craftsmanship.
Birkin bags: A symbol of wealth
Named after actor and singer Jane Birkin, Hermès Birkin bags are a symbol of luxury and wealth and a fashion statement. The highly prized, luxury designer product is not easily available and is in fact, not even displayed for sale in the company’s retail stores.
Customers wishing to purchase the Birkin simply cannot walk into an Hermès store and buy one. They have to be offered the purchase. The brand requires customers to buy other Hermès products such as shoes, scarves and jewelry and build a rapport before they can get an opportunity to get their hands on the famed Birkin.
According to Sotheby’s, Hermès stores are only allowed to buy a select number of Birkin bags bi-annually and the styles of Birkin are rarely known before their delivery to the boutique.
As a result, customers who are offered the opportunity to purchase a Birkin cannot choose which bag to purchase and only have the option to purchase the specific bag shown to them. The other option is to be patient and wait until the bag of their choice is offered to them.
According to a British Vogue article published earlier this year, waiting lists at Hermès stores no longer exist and those wishing to purchase a Birkin “should enquire in store, and seek advice from Hermès sales experts.” Hermes operates about 43 stores in the United States, according to Reuters.
Birkins are now also available at luxury resellers online, though they may be pre-owned. However, while making a purchase be aware of fakes and counterfeits and only make your purchase from legit websites. Authentic Hermès Birkins have high-quality metal hardware, usually engraved with the “Hermès Paris” logo and are made of high-quality leather which feels soft and supple and has a natural sheen, according to luxury products retailer Madison Avenue Couture. Real Hermès bags also have craft codes, a combination of typically eight letters and numbers, embossed on the bag’s leather interior. The first part of the code is always a letter and represents the date code or year of production while the rest indicates the artisan who made the bag.
How much is a real Birkin bag?
Hermès Birkin bags start at around $10,000, with rare models fetching upwards of $500,000. The most expensive Birkin bag to sell publicly to date was at a Sotheby’s auction in 2022, where the “Diamond Himalaya Birkin,” a bag studded with 205 white diamonds, sold for over $450,000, CNN reported.
The hefty price tag is owed to premium materials and designs, superior craftsmanship — each is handmade in France. The bags are produced in limited quantity, adding to their exclusivity. While Hermès has not publicly revealed how much a Birkin bag costs to make, the Wall Street Journal reported analysts estimate each bag costs Hermès around $1,000 to make.
Contributing: J. Staas Haught, USA TODAY NETWORK
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
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