Birkin vs Wirkin: The backlash against the global elite and their luxury bags

By Gemma Ware

The Birkin bag made by French luxury retailer Hermès has become a status symbol for the global elite. Notoriously difficult to obtain, the world’s rich obsess over how to get their hands on one.

But when US retailer Walmart recently launched a much cheaper bag that looked very similar to the Birkin, nicknamed a ‘Wirkin’ by others, it sparked discussions about wealth disparity and the ethics of