Proudly, a Plastic Bag
The New York fashion label most famous for faux-leather totes has heard the "plastic bag" criticism. Its response? A bodega-coded “plastic” bag.
Yes, Telfar made a plastic bag. The Plastic Bag, in fact. This is a sturdier iteration of the plastic bags you get with your carryout except though these bags are made of "plastic," it’s not the single-use kind. With its nylon exterior, doubled-up lining, ruched elastic handles and deep side pockets, Telfar’s take on the plastic bag is a touch sturdier than its reference point.
The bags come in 11 different colors and prints, all of which reference the plastic bags that NYC banned in 2020. (that kinda makes plastic bags a luxury, no?) As such, Telfar’s got everything from "Thank you for shopping" script to those large, uncanny smiley faces. Respect for the classics.
Available on the Telfar website on August 15, the bags come in two sizes: regular for $148 and jumbo for $195.
Price point aside, this is not just another display of Telfar's established mastery of the handbag game. This is a retort.
During the height of Telfar's virality in 2020, its signature "Shopping Bag" was everywhere and nowhere at once, so coveted by the masses that it was nearly impossible to buy at retail.
And the Beyoncé boost didn’t make these things any easier to come by. But with cultural dominance came the naysayers. Telfar bags were "not worth the coin," these folks said, because they "felt like plastic.” Indeed, vegan leather is just that: plastic.
As such, they don’t wear in as much as they break down. (Telfar has occasionally used animal leather for its bags.)
The point of the vegan leather was twofold. On one hand, it allowed Telfar to sell bags to everyone, including vegans (surely a sizeable margin of Bushwick Birkin buyers). On the other, it plays into Telfar’s larger aims of offering affordable luxury goods. The Plastic Bag simply makes that dichotomy the main subject.
Highsnobiety has affiliate marketing partnerships, which means we may receive a commission from your purchase. Want to shop the products our editors actually love? Visit the HS Style Guide for recs on all things fashion, footwear, and beauty.
