Behind the paywall in today’s issue:
The inventive strategies people used to save up for a Birkin bag.
Vogue World’s absolutely brutal reception.
Gwyneth Paltrow’s curious new move.
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Loose Threads
Designer and founder of the 15 Percent Pledge Aurora James is being sued for $1 million. Event planning company The Gathery alleges unpaid bills of nearly $800,000 for its work on the February 2026 15 Percent Pledge Gala, naming James as a defendant in the suit.
Why are there so many robots on the runways this fashion month? Apparently at the Runway 7 show in New York, a robot wearing a hoodie fell off the stage in hilarious/terrifying fashion, according to Daily Mail footage. (It just avoided taking out a couple of spectators.) There was also the robot walking the runway at Tulasi’s London Fashion Week show with a face (“face”?) that reminded me of Rosey from The Jetsons if she had gotten to wear a sassy little fur coat instead of that misogynistic maid costume. And, of course, Vogue World.
Tulasi (via @tulasiofficial) and Rosey from The Jetsons.
Chanel raised prices on two of its most popular bags, reports PurseBlog. The Chanel 25 has gone up in price twice this year for a total increase of around 8 to 10 percent, depending on size. And the Souplissimo bag, formerly known as the Maxi Flap, has just gone up for the first time this year, between around 3 and 5 percent, depending on size.
Glenn Martens showed his last collection for Diesel in Milan after six years designing for the brand. It was a fun scroll:
(Courtesy of Diesel.)
RBC analysts cast doubt on the luxury fashion sector’s recovery, writing in a note that expectations for 2027 earnings at Kering, Hermès, and other luxury houses “remain overly optimistic in our view assuming revenue growth acceleration and margin expansion across most stocks which is not reflective of the current luxury backdrop and requires an inflexion in trends.”
Ahead, today’s big story…
How 5 People Afforded Their Birkins
A Birkin 30 costs $14,900 today in the US.
Here's how much the price has increased since 2000, compared to what the price would have been if it grew in line with inflation.
For that amount of money, you could also buy:
Nearly 11 months of rent (going by the median US rent cost of $1,390 per month)
A year of groceries for a relatively thrifty family of four
A year of tuition at a state college, with money to spare (the median cost is $11,950)
A roughly 9-year-old car
Of course, many would rather have a Birkin than a 9-year-old car (raises hand). But at a nearly $15,000 price, Birkins aren't something many people can just purchase, especially considering Hermès is known for shaking down bag buyers for a "pre-spend" before they decide to sell them Birkin and Kelly bags.
I wanted to know how people afford their Birkin and Kelly bags, so I started interviewing buyers, many of whom didn't have millions of dollars lying around, but came up with creative ways to save. Here are their stories.
I’ll publish a second part for Premium subscribers in the coming weeks.
The Fashion Merchandiser Who Went on a Chicken Nugget Diet
What she bought: I have six Birkins, including two special orders, seven Kellys, five Constances, and two Kelly Danses. Then there’s a mini Jypsière, a mini Lindy, an Evelyne. I don’t buy Birkins in “basic” colors — black, gold and gray — because my ex-sister-in-law once told me those are the “poor man’s Birkin.”
My first Birkin was around $3,500. I wasn’t making a lot of money. I was an entry-level merchandising assistant at a mall brand making $18,000 a year. Then I moved to a mid-level job at a top jewelry brand making around $35,000. I lived on the Upper West Side and ate chicken nuggets — the McDonald’s special-price 40-piece, from the one on 70th and Amsterdam — for…
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