I am not a Kardashian fan. So I can't believe I'm going to say this, but... I totally support her. I LOVE that Kim Kardashian is carrying a bag hand painted by her daughter.
If you haven't heard, Kim has started carrying a beautiful Hermes Birkin bag hand-painted by her 1 year old daughter North West. It's a vibrant red, yellow and blue number with a recognizable handprint on a canvas colored background. It's really, really sweet.
There's sadly been a ton of backlash. Critics say the bag is a waste of an expensive piece, it's a subversive way to show wealth, and there are a ridiculous number of comments on the size of her toes in the photo (come on people, she's a celeb but she's human too).
Here's my two cents:
When you're Kim Kardashian, you can wear any bag ever made. I bet she has dozens of Birkins. She famously spent $100,000 in one go at Hermes. So what's the hubbub about making one of these enormously expensive bags a little more personal?
Second, this was a gift from Kanye. If you're going to be mad at anyone, be mad at him. But let's reframe the way we're thinking about this. Yes it's an expensive gift, but Kanye knows his wife loves this particular bag, and she loves her daughter more than anything. How thoughtful to create something special and unique for her based on two things she cares about.
Because, in the end, a Birkin is just a bag, even if it's THE bag. You can't take it with you. And this Birkin is different. It's beautiful because her daughter made it.
I'm not a parent, but if I was, this bag would be more special to me than my entire collection of bags put together. Mr. Handbag, if you're listening, I would be proud to carry a bag like this some day.
Thanks to Eva Rinaldi for the photo.