BIRKINS: WHAT’S THE BIG F**KING DEAL?
these boring lookin office-like bags cost anything from SGD10,900 (smallest size in calf leather) to SGD60,000 (biggest size in "exotic" skins). the wait-list for these bags are allegedly TWO FRICKIN YEARS!!!
okay before i go on to further criticize this abomination of a “highly desired” fashion item, let’s hear from the defense:
“The only people who don’t “get” what makes a Birkin special have never laid eyes or hands on one.”
“Birkins are made stitch by stitch (inside out) it is a meticulous process. Each bag is made by a single craftsperson from beginning to end. It’s amazing!”
“all women with taste either have or aspire to have the Birkin.”
okay time’s up. airheads and attention seeking whores do make the stupidest sounding noises. im only using the birkin as focus of rant here cuz its the most common known super ex luxe bag. (a girlfriend told me she saw a Fendi Spy in Croc Skin for SGD189,000!) bloody hell. the rant shall now begin. the thing that sparked it off for me? this article i found on REUTERS:
PARIS (Reuters) – French luxury goods group Hermes has resorted to breeding its own crocodiles on farms in Australia to try to meet demand for its leather bags, its chief executive said on Monday.
“It can take three to four crocodiles to make one of our bags so we are now breeding our own crocodiles on our own farms, mainly in Australia,” Patrick Thomas told the Reuters Global Luxury Summit in Paris.
Hermes already faces a major challenge producing 3,000 crocodile bags a year, Thomas said, adding: “The world is not full of crocodiles…
!!!!!???????!!!!!! *BARF*
k granted, ALOT of other fashion brands farm animals for skin/fur/teeth/bones whateverrr. and i suppose there are greater concerns like the SHARKS FIN PROBLEM to bitch about. but i need to focus. and today i choose to attack the birkin for streamlining purposes* or else i’d be stuck here all day writing a thesis on animal cruelty.
*and also cuz its the most commonly obsessed about fashion object of today’s people.
i’ll start with point #1:“The only people who don’t “get” what makes a Birkin special have never laid eyes or hands on one.”
FYI i have laid eyes on not one, but an ENTIRE walk-in wardrobe FULL OF BIRKINS arranged according to COLOUR and SKIN. ive examined the intricate handy work, the stellar hardware and the meticulous attention to detail. ive even carried it (borrowed of course) and paraded it around the aforementioned wardrobe for a minute or two.“nah…not my thing la…”, said I.
rewind a few years back when i first heard of this crazily priced “fashion must-have”: i remember takin one look at the bag and going “WHAAAT?! how can something that looks so plain/like shit cost SO FRICKEN MUCH?! (of course i used the OTHER “F” word la!)
fast forward to present day: after having laid eyes on it, touched it, held it, i still think the same – that anyone who thinks the birkin is “to-die-for”, seriously dont value their lives…. which is unstandable i suppose after some thought… i mean, how does one tag any value on a shallow life form?
(i know at this point i might seem like im on a bitter jealous rant cuz i cant afford the bag on my meagre salary or cuz ive not married up into some rich doode’s family fortune.. or cuz im not born rich.. blah blah blah.. but i assure you, its not these reasons. relax padawan, i’ll get to it.)
#2: “Birkins are made stitch by stitch (inside out) it is a meticulous process. Each bag is made by a single craftsperson from beginning to end. It’s amazing!”
i gotta admit, it takes awesome craftsmanship, patience and impeccable attention to detail to churn out perfect pieces of art. i do not have anything against the craftsmen/women, nor will i belittle their amazing talent.
what i wonder about is: how much of the SGD10,900 (for the cheapest in the range) that you pay actually goes to these hardworking craftspeople whose talent is THE selling point for these birkins? probably a pittance.
so i wonder abt the salaries of the craftsmen… another reason why i dont think their salaries are high is cuz a “perk” of their job is that Hermes gives them permission to craft one Birkin a year for themselves. sweet deal right? but what do they do with it? THEY SELL THOSE (despite being banned from selling it by Hermes) and thus easily earning abt USD5000 for each “craftsman bag” (easily spotted cuz there’d be a shooting star mark emblazoned under the Hermes print on the inside of the bag. FYI craftsmen bags are acknowledged by boutique as “fakes” and thus will not be serviced or enjoy perks of a regular birkin DESPITE lookin EXACTLY the same and being crafted by the SAME CRAFTSMAN. some people dont mind it and buy anyway.)
hell, if the craftsmen at Hermes were earning loads, which they SHOULD BE since craftsmanship is one of the PRIMARY reasons for the spiky price tag, they surely wont need to sell off their own handmade bags right? they’d be carrying the bags with pride!
er..my point here being… read the portion in red above can?
oh well. k im bored of talkin abt them. movin on to the final and most important point…..
#3: “all women with taste either have or aspire to have the Birkin.”
*cough-wheeze-choke* are you frickin NUTS?! TASTE?! which part of “animals farmed for skin” do you NOT GET? okay okay, im not like a super siao on animal rights activist or anything, hell i fricken LOVE EATING MEAT. granted, like all other omnivores, we kill to feed/clothe ourselves… but where do we draw the line?
i just can’t connect with the idea of killing an animal solely for its skin. i know an argument is made that it is possible the meat from these animals is not wasted, but I have not seen or heard any definitive proof of that. (the fricken aussies eat all sorts of meat la i know. but they are isolated down under. lets keep the weirdness down there. who on earth likes crocodile meat?! I FOR SURE DONT! or ostrich for that matter… yucks.)
of course i respect the point of view that it is probably better to farm these animals than create a market where they would be poached to extinction….. but its like being forced to choose between the better of the two evils isnt it?
i know i’m focussing alot on exotics here.. what about the calf skins you might ask. well, to be honest, i own two calfskin bags, im not proud of it. but i was ignorant back then (and also gotten miserably broke after making those purchases nbcb), i now only buy leather from old cows. and most would agree that we’d have less sympathy killing a reptile than killing a baby cow… BUT THATS NOT THE POINT. imagine you kena reincarnated as an alligator/ostrich/crocodile: born into the world with a face so fricken ugly that people only want to skin you to make bags. sian right? sibei cham lor if you ask me 
my last point is that human beings are the ONLY species that are INTENTIONALLY cruel and inhumane to one another. animals never kill or hurt each other for absolutley no reason – they only do it for protection or for food… and animals DONT WASTE FOOD LIKE US HUMANS LOR! not only do human beings have responsibility to respect and care for each other, but also, as the highest species sitting atop the food chain, we have a great responsibility to provide the same respect and care for the animals and other lifeforms that we share this planet with.
p/s: i’ll rant abt sharks fin in another entry. ive burnt enough of my sunday writing this. gonna have lunch now… taaaa! xoxo
p/p/s: if you dont hear from me by tomorrow or latest tuesday, its most prob because id have been bludgeoned to death by angry fashionistas and their birkins.
RYAN LEE
Aiya, use plastic bag lah. hahahaaa.. joking.
chill woman, i seriously dont see why you should be so angry…haha. but its interesting to read how mad you are.
i’d like to think that im being “overtly expressive” instead of “mad”…. LOL! x
Ok, here’s my take on it.
The bag’s NICE. And NICE is SAFE.
(SAFE is BORING.)
I wouldn’t mind having it! If it doesn’t cost sooooooooooo f$$$in’ much. Not even worth it. I gotta admit, I do not have enough cash for that, but I’d rather get something else that I really like, and not buy for the sake of the NAME, which is what many women are after, I guess.
Just my take. No offence to anyone out there, esp to ‘em Birkin Lovers.
*gives standing ovation* totally agree.. hmm… but what happened to your 2010 resolution to be a ‘gentler rozz’? haha..
oooooops!
HAHA. oh well. resolutions are meant to be broken too. even if it’s unintentionally (:
Finally, a non-conformist who dares to be different from 99.9% of all the drones of society out there. I salute you for being unique & one-of-a-kind!
P.S. I am a huge fan of yours!
WOOOOT! rozz loves gnette too! x
Agreed with your points 100%! This argument is FTW! People who buy these are nuts, do not care about poor hungry people in Africa and are stupid.
its animal rights babe: where do we draw the line? this is senseless. plus the point of this is not to berate the rich for spending their money as they wish; or the poor people who’d starve/die for this birkin – they wanna do something that stupid, be my guest. rather, i hope to get people to sit up and think and not fall into blind obsession. the product is really not all that great.. well.. not at that joke of a price tag at least. there’s a difference between value and worth. if i had that money, i’d put a downpayment for a condo or get myself a porsche or something..
I wasn’t trying to berate the Richie Rich(es); i mean, it’s their money, they earned it/inherited, it’s their problem! But like you said, I wish people would sit up and think. Anyway, I’d definitely use the money for a condo or a trip around the world or smth! (:
That’s what I thought too when I first saw that bag. I guess I don’t have taste because even if someone gave me the money for it, I’d spend it on something else instead.
But perhaps u have not realised that it is better to have a quality bag that costs more than 10K, than to own various bags from different labels (LV, Chanel, Prada etc) of mediocre quality being mass-produced. In fact 90% of the manufacturing process is being completed in China. Anyway, Im quite sure there’re plenty of people who has got several designer bags in their closet which could easily run up to that amount.
I’ve seen and handled vintage Hermes bags myself, which are more than 15 years of age. They still look splendid and able to stand upright on their own. That is the quality of the craftsmanship you can expect from Hermes, and what you’re paying for.
Surely, there’re many other cases of animal abuses in different forms. Why would you even eat wagyu beef if you’re really such an advocate of being animal-friendly (if you even realise the fact that animal is raised solely for its tender meat, and the cruel conditions that it is subjected to, before it becomes ready for slaughter)?
And unfortunately, craftsman are not the only peopl who are so-called “underpaid”. During the height of the economic turbulence just last year, many CEOs received a HUGE payout for their services, despite the number of people who were retrenched mercilessly with meagre compensation and a huge personal financial commitment to struggle with. That is really how the world works- the interdependence of an average worker and the employers of huge profitable organisation. How else can you profit, if you dont squeeze the most out of your staff? And why are the workers willing to exchange their services for what you deemed to be a meagre salary? Obviously, they need the job and the money. How about trying to compare your salary to the amount of profits you think your organisation is receiving, or to the salary that your CEOs are getting? You shld get my point. It is not as if Hermes employs child labour (Coughs. Nike. Coughs.) or make their employees work inhumane hours.
And perhaps, this is the very reason why we’re paying premiums for their products- the cost of wages is factored in. Do bear in mind that the cost of employing a french artisan would be much higher than an average worker from China. Also, the french artisans had to receive many years of training before they’re even allowed to work on the birkins.
Some people have got their own reasons for indulgence in expensive luxury brands. For me, it motivates me to work harder and accumulate wealth. For some, it’s just about enjoying the fruits of their hard work, after having a huge house or a fleet of expensive cars fully paid for (u can never judge and tell someone else what is the right way to deal with their extra cash).
i agree with your points. totally.
first and foremost, im not a hardcore animal rights activist. i think anyone who eats meat cant be considered as one. at the risk of seeming double standard, im cool with farmed animals raised for meat, its food. i find it more justifiable ANYDAY over farmed animals raised solely for the purpose of meeting the demands of a growing population of retarded fashionistas so they can flaunt the latest “it” bag? c’mon. its ridiculous.
of course we can argue abt this point til the cows come home (pun not intended), but we’d have to agree to disagree.
i have no issue whatsoever with what you or anyone might chooose to do with the money you earn. reward yourself whatever. but to slave and starve and pine for a bag thats clearly out of one’s income bracket, is totally ridiculous. im speaking to the working class: WAKE UP.
a bag is a bag is a bag. regardless of “brand” or designer. its still an object that holds your things. i always wonder: if the hermes birkin came without the brand, would you still marvel at it like its some artistic wonder?
anyway, im just using the birkin as an example. i dont have anything against the bag. but i do laugh at the crazed obsession that people launch into whenever the bag’s mentioned or seen. of course i do know of bags that cost waaaaay more that a birkin is considered “cheap” by comparison.
anyhoos, from your meticulously worded comment (and i thank you for taking the time and effort to comment), we’d never agree on this matter. so im gonna just let it be
p/s: LV is hand stitched by craftsman. been that way since the beginning. its got such a rich history.. i wouldnt deem it as “mediocre”
Good one rozz!
I own prada & miumiu bags, but I am not crazy to go all for the birken although I can afford it. I heard about this since last year, and the trend has grew so much. C’mon ladies! WAKE UP!
Excuse me, but erm what trend? This whole birkin/kelly trend? Where have you been the years before? Btw, your prada and miumiu are mostly made of nappa leather or calf skin.. oh those poor goats and baby cows.
What should we ladies wake up to in your case here girlfriend?
Hey Heys! Love your post about this… Cuz I totally agree with you that the bag is seriously not worth it.. 4 to 3 crocodiles to make one bag like whattt? I’m kinda sad for the crocs right now like put urselves in their shoes people! … like its…. massive torture!! I totally agree that some people are such airheads.
so are saying that you dont use leather or any animal skin? wow. good for you. i can imagine how a massive torture it is to skin a calf or a goat (for that poor animal. And you. Very torturous indeed.) God should make them animals graze the earth without evil predators like us killing them for their hide.
haha! i cant wait to hear what Dina has to say! lol!
she’s aiming for a Birkin by the time she hits 35, that woman! =p
hey ann! ahahahha! we actually spoke abt this. we agreed to disagree la so all good hehe
lol! yeah! we had a good laugh over it yesterday!
anyway, ima link you up on my blog! =)
wicked! i’ll link you toooo! x
forgot to add, cos cos cos I LOVE YOUR ENTRIES! =)
Aiyah.. as i said I wont starve or ask my parents for it (although I would prefer if the husband were to get me one – which means he would have to sacrifise his Fodera bass – which is NEVER. Bleh.) or buy on credit. I will eventually get it but it is not a priority now. I pratice ‘target and plan’. And so far i have achieved what I targetted for. I aim to get it in 5 years time when I am a lao ah soh so all’s good. It’s a personal thing. I’ve my own flat in a prime area, I got a car, I got a very stable job that pays well, i still get to travel and i still indulge in my other obsessions. Oh and I am childless. Im happy. I dont owe ppl money (except M1, my reno loan and my colleague $10 for the staff welfare fund). So?
I do not vehemently disagree with Rozz on this becos it is to each her own really
xx Di
Oh I forgot to add.. I agree with Felle on this part when she said “it’s just about enjoying the fruits of their hard work”.. If I choose to spend my bonus or whatever extra money on a 5-figure-sum bag, knowing that that could jolly well feed a small village in Africa, isn’t it a matter or personal choice then? Am I selfish? I am helping the less priviledged in society in my own way (due to the nature of what I do for a living) but if i wanna indulge in a birkin/kelly, that doesnt make me any less charitable.
And rgd animal rights. Oh puhlesseeee. I love animals. Yes I do. My cat can attest to that. But I am not a vegan or vegetarian. I can die if I eat vegetable. So how like that?
It is all about having a personal choice. Come to think of it, if i were to add up the cost of ALL the bags in my possession now, I would be able to afford a one and a quarter Birkin 30. But bottomline is, what is the big deal if i think i deserve it?
As far as I know, Hermes, and most other big organisation do practise social responsibility (perhaps to a very limited extent, for publicity sake).
Take the recent “PS I silk you” event for example, and the limited edition silk scarves released in different parts of the world every now and then.
Consumers do give back to the society (referring to people who need jobs, and the needy) in an indirect way. In fact, the economy thrives on consumers’ spending if one do understand a thing or two about how economics work ( which explains the numerous sales we see during the crisis, all to stimulate spending, and get the dollars circulating).
I shall avoid launching a thesis about the multiplying effects of the dollar here though
WAH LAU I read until I damn stress man. And lol at Dina!!! I vaguely remember you reading out your replies to me at your place in my sleepy stupor.
Oh no I am so sorry, I think these bags are sooooooooo boringly bland.
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