If you told me Walmart would be trending for a fashion reason as we wrapped up 2024, I would’ve laughed, smiled and kept it moving. But here we are. Thanks to dupe culture, Walmart is at the center of a viral TikTok moment with their $80 take on the Hermès Birkin bag, affectionately (or not) dubbed the “Wirkin” or “Wermes” bag. The internet has spiraled into a frenzy, with timelines flooded by debates over whether this dupe is a genius move or a disgrace to luxury lovers everywhere.
On one side, people applaud Walmart for giving folks who can’t afford a real Birkin a chance to snag something that looks extremely close to it—for a fraction of the price. Meanwhile, others are clutching their pearls, appalled that anyone would dare settle for a knockoff instead of saving up for the real deal. In this economy? Be serious.
@jessi.my #walmart #birkin #Hermes #fyp ♬ original sound – Jessi My
But my question to the internet is: why are we acting like this is something new? Dupe culture has been alive and thriving for decades, and as Black people, we’ve been remixing, recreating, and innovating luxury for years. Take Dapper Dan, who in the 1980s turned the fashion world on its head by reimagining luxury logos into custom streetwear for Harlem’s elite. The major fashion houses hated it back then, accusing him of counterfeiting and shutting him down, only to later borrow his ideas for their own collections. Today, Dap collaborates with Gucci, but let’s not forget his contributions laid the foundation for what we now call luxury streetwear.
And if we’re talking knockoffs, anyone who’s walked through LA’s Fashion District or down Canal Street in New York knows the deal. In LA, a quick nod to the right person might lead you to a car trunk full of knockoff Louis Vuitton and Prada bags. In New York, the knockoffs practically stare at you from blankets on the sidewalk. This has been part of the culture for years, so why is the Walmart “Birkin” shaking the table so hard?
@brookeonair Have you seen the fake Birkin drama?? What do we think? #walmart #fake #wirkin #birkin #greenscreenvideo ♬ original sound – Brooke Thomas
It’s not just bags, either—dupe culture has infiltrated the beauty and fashion industries in ways we can’t ignore. Brands like e.l.f. and MCo Beauty built their reputations on budget-friendly products that mirror luxury beauty staples, from Charlotte Tilbury dupes to Dior lip gloss lookalikes. Steve Madden? They’ve been the dupe kings, dropping affordable takes on everything from Balenciaga’s Triple S sneakers to Givenchy’s Shark Boots. And let’s not forget that infamous 2021 “Bushwick Birkin” dupe that had Telfar fans in an uproar.
So, what’s all the noise about Walmart’s bag? Maybe it’s because the Birkin is one of fashion’s most sacred symbols of wealth and exclusivity and seeing it on a Walmart shelf disrupts the fantasy. Or maybe, as a culture, we’re finally realizing that access to luxury—or even the illusion of it—shouldn’t come with gatekeeping or guilt. After all, whether you’re rocking the “Wermes” or saving up for the real thing, it’s all about how you wear it.
