“Only Bags” is the newest drop of MSCHF, a Brooklyn-based art collective that pokes fun at the luxury industry along with the rich and famous.
MSCHF, a Brooklyn-based art collective, dropped their latest tongue-in-cheek collection through OnlyBags. It offers empty paper bags from luxury brands like Fendi, Rolex, Hermes, and Prada and mass retails such as Ikea, Victoria’s Secret, and even an unbranded plastic bag—all priced at $40.
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“If there’s one thing we know from acquiring our bag samples, it’s that strolling down the street laden with (empty, of course!) Balenciaga, Valentino, Rolex, et al. is one hell of a power trip,” MSCHF says in their website’s manifesto.
“Carrying an armload of bags puts you in dialogue with all the images you’ve seen of people carrying armloads of bags,” it continues. “Who are they? Celebrities, whether due to their talent or wealth—the most conspicuous of consumers. Who are you? Someone who now has this visual signifier in common with celebrities. At the very least, you look rich.”
Poking fun
It’s not the first time MSCHF has poked fun at the high-end industry. In February 2021, they turned Hermes Birkins into Birkenstocks. The former is known as the pinnacle of luxury handbags *MSCHF’s creative director Lucas Bental describes them as “cultural memes”). At the same time, the latter has a less revered reputation in the fashion world.
The art collective’s aptly titled “Birkinstock” collection cost between $34,000 to $76,000 and came in Birkin materials such as ostrich, taurillon Clemence, and two shades of crocodile.
“We really think nothing is sacred in our material choices. Normally, no one would touch a Birkin,” Kevin Wiesner, another creative director at MSCH, told Paper.
A bargain
Although forty dollars is steep to pay for a paper bag, it’s still $27 cheaper than buying a Hermes lipstick (which you’ll get a tiny paper bag to package).
Currently, all the OnlyBags items are sold out. In line with the drop’s success, it seems customers bought their message that worldly wealth is sometimes a mere illusion along with empty packaging.
Banner photo from onlybags.biz
