Walmart’s Hermès Birkin lookalike went so viral days after its launch that it is now entirely sold out. Who is prouder—the hypermarket or the luxury retailer? And is a lawsuit in the horizon?

The unmistakably fake Hermès Birkin sold at Walmart. Photo: walmart.com

We did not think we would be closing the year with a post on duplicate bags, least of all a fake Birkin. The Birkin knockoffs are so plentiful everywhere that even Hermès would find it hard to track all of them down. But one is making so much noise that the French brand unlikely hasn’t taken notice or consulted its legal team. Trending these past days, especially on TikTok (what isn’t), has been a bag that is in the likeness of one that frequently ranks among the most expensive and, hence, desired: a US$78 Birkin lookalike sold at Walmart, with even a shoulder strap the original never had. It was so adored by influencers that their posts featuring the bag have gone viral, resulting in the Birkin dupes enjoying “sold-out” status. Walmart has removed the listing from its website. It is not, however, clear if they did so because the bags are totally gone or because they feared legal reprisal.

The Birkin, of course, sits at the top of the pecking order at Hermès, the empress dowager of all bags. It is often said that some of them costs as much as, if not more than, a car (in the US, that’s the favourite comparison). Curiously, Hermès does not advertise the prices. Its desirability is augmented by its scarcity, particularly in Hermès stores where you’d be lucky if you can even spot one. That’s not including their notorious waiting lists or the amounts you have to spend with Hermès (whatever they are, just spend) before you could even be considered for that list. Or, as some say, invitation to buy. It is unsurprising that many women (men, too) desire an alternative. But not just any. It is preferable that the substitute looks close to the Birkin, a twin if not in functionality and durability, at least in appearance. And most importantly, it must not come with a prohibitive price tag. Ideally, it should say very simply, affordable: buy me. Or, take me now, which is the case with the Walmart Birkin.

It is preferable that the substitute looks close to the Birkin, a twin if not in functionality and durability, at least in appearance. And most importantly, it must not come with a prohibitive price tag

Walmart knows the existence of this demand, this hunger, this pent-up craving/madness. While there are many who do not consider the Birkin especially attractive (the design has not changed since 1984), there are enough who think the bags are the epitome of towering financial status. But it has also gone beyond that. In the era when dupes are acceptable, even desired, carrying a Birkin knockoff is no sin. The reaction to their use is, “why not?” Many collectors of Birkins are up in arms in expressing their anger at this perceived devaluing of their prized bags in the wake of the Walmart Birkin—dubbed the “Wirkin” by some wordsmith with excess of cleverness—storming social media. They don’t consider this as a possible joke. To be sure, we do not condone any form of infringement of designs. But giving legs to the rapid sales of the clearly fake only speed up the rush to acquire them. Many TikTokers only need stuff to brag about, not anything more.

When Walmart announced the availability of the bag on their website, they described it as “KAMUGO Genuine Leather Handbag for Women”. Similar styles have been seen on the e-commerce marketplace Poshmark prior. Ditto for Amazon, where other Kumago bags are also available. According to what’s found in the public domain, Kumago is a bag manufacturer operating out of Shenzhen (深圳). There are many such companies that exist in the shadows. Kamugo does not even have a website and a search on Taobao showed the message: “No relevant product found”. An export brand? It is not clear why Walmart markets the bags by mentioning the manufacturer’s name. It is unlikely that they wanted shoppers not to mistake the bag for the one that is Hermès’s golden goose. Who would think that a Birkin can be had for below a hundred dollars, which is even cheaper than Bushwick Birkin, the Telfar Shopping Bag? They want the dupe and are happy that it is not the real deal. Bragging rights these days cover owning the bogus.