The rise of dupe culture, exemplified by Walmart’s viral “Wirkin” Hermès Birkin bag knock-off, perpetuates the fast fashion industry, raising environmental and ethical concerns.
It’s easy to create a buying frenzy during the holiday season. The Black Friday lines and scuffles over items likely to wind up at thrift stores by the next season are commonplace. Then, of course, there’s TikTok, which can whip up demand overnight for products (see: the recent Stanley tumbler craze). The latest came last month when just days before Christmas, a video from TikTok user @styled.by.kristi racked up nearly 8 million views over the Walmart Birkin dupe bag, now better known as the “Wirkin.”
Walmart’s “Wirkin” bag, sold by Kamugo bears a striking homage to the iconic Hermès Birkin, but sells at a fraction of the price — as low as $78 compared to the original, which can fetch more than $9,000. Walmart has since pulled the bag from its site, but third-party sellers still offer options on the platform and other knock-offs, like those from brands like BestSPR and Judy, are available across the web for a fraction of the price of the original. But beneath the frenzy lies a troubling narrative — one that perpetuates toxic fast fashion cycles and raises serious ethical questions. As the “dupe” phenomenon grows in influence, it reveals an industry grappling with its contradictions: the allure of exclusivity versus the widespread appeal of accessibility.
The rise of dupe culture
In a recent 60 Minutes episode, Hermès’ artistic director Pierre-Alexis Dumas sat down with reporter Sharyn Alfonsi to discuss the French label’s iconic bags. The bags take, on average, 40 hours to make. There are often years-long waiting lists to get a real Birkin bag and even waiting lists to get on the waiting lists, CBS reports. “Along with whispers from Wall Street that the company is brilliantly gaming the customer.”
The five-year waiting period would put other companies out of business, Alfonsi said to Dumas. “If I went to the Mercedes dealership and I said, ‘I would like that car.’ And they said, ‘OK, you’re gonna have to wait five years,’ they’d be out of business.”
“But you’re talking about industrial production,” Dumas clarified. “You’re applying your thinking structure of industrial production to craft. We’re about craft. We’re not machines. And we are not compromising on the quality of the way we make the bags. So if the craftsperson is not at the level, his or her bag would not go into the store.”
While five-plus years may be the extreme example of luxury craft, will dupe bags like Walmart’s Wirkin bring down its value? After all, dupe culture feeds directly into the fast fashion machine. The industry, which accounts for roughly ten percent of global carbon emissions, thrives on mass production, low costs, and rapid turnover. According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, fashion’s production has doubled in the last 15 years, with over 92 million tons of textile waste discarded annually. Dupes like the Wirkin drive demand for disposable fashion, exacerbating these environmental crises.
Still, the “Wirkin” has been hailed as a democratizing force in fashion — a chance for ordinary consumers to access the prestige of an Hermès-inspired bag without its five- or six-figure cost. On TikTok, users have christened the Walmart dupe the “Wirkin class” bag, celebrating its accessibility and function. “The Walmart Birkin bag is called a Wirkin and it’s for the Wirkin class,” one user quipped in a viral video. As these posts garnered millions of views, the bag quickly sold out.
Yet this enthusiasm isn’t without controversy. Critics argue that the very idea of replicating such exclusivity undermines its value. While the Wirkin bag might appear to democratize fashion, its production raises significant ethical concerns. Like many fast fashion products, it likely relies on low-wage labor in countries with limited worker protections. Transparency around manufacturing practices is minimal — Kamugo lacks a standalone website, leaving consumers with little insight into how or where its products are made.
This lack of accountability isn’t unique to Walmart’s offerings. The fast fashion industry as a whole often skirts labor regulations in its race to deliver inexpensive goods to market. Meanwhile, brands like Hermès, whose leather goods accounted for 42.8 percent of its 2022 revenue according to Deloitte, continue to dominate the ultra-luxury space. With its Birkin bags fetching upwards of $26,500, Hermès is positioned as a counterpoint to disposable fashion — a status symbol of wealth and patience.
A generational paradox
The explosion of dupe culture highlights a growing tension among consumers, particularly Gen Z. This generation is celebrated for its environmental activism and sustainability rhetoric. Yet, according to a recent report from Thredup, younger shoppers are among the fastest-growing demographics driving fast fashion sales. The cognitive dissonance is palpable: a TikTok user questioning the Wirkin trend remarked, “Wouldn’t buy a fake one because I don’t even care to have a real one.”
For luxury brands like Hermès, however, these dupes may pose little threat to their core clientele. Steven Moy, chief client officer at luxury consultant G & Co., explained in a recent interview, “The true ultra luxury, in that case, won’t be affected in the short run.” High-net-worth individuals, loyal to the exclusivity Hermès offers, are unlikely to abandon the brand for mass-market copies.
While some argue that dupes like the Wirkin provide an entry point for future luxury consumers, others see them as a gateway to unsustainable consumption. Unlike counterfeit goods, which blatantly copy logos and trademarks, dupes occupy a gray area. They skirt intellectual property infringement by mimicking styles rather than outright copying them, allowing manufacturers to operate with relative impunity.
Luxury brands have pushed back against this trend in innovative ways. Lululemon, for instance, hosted a “dupe swap” in Los Angeles, offering its Align leggings in exchange for knockoffs. This strategy not only reclaimed brand identity but also highlighted the value of authentic craftsmanship over imitations.
But the larger issue isn’t just about intellectual property — it’s about the environmental and social cost of producing and disposing of low-cost goods. As the Wirkin proves, even items designed to emulate timelessness can become disposable in the hands of fast fashion consumers. This is the antithesis of what Jane Birkin, the namesake of the original bag, sought when she collaborated with Hermès to create a bag that could double as a diaper tote for young mothers.
As the dupe market expands, it raises fundamental questions for luxury brands: Should they adapt to capture aspirational consumers or double down on exclusivity? Moy posed it best: “Do they want to reach those audiences or do you want to keep your core audience?”
Meanwhile, consumers must grapple with their role in this cycle. Is the temporary thrill of a $78 Wirkin worth the long-term costs to the planet and exploited workers? The answer might lie in the choices made by shoppers — whether they prioritize quality and longevity or indulge in the fleeting satisfaction of a dupe.
“[S]peed is the structuring value of the 20th century,” Dumas said. “We went from horse carriages to the internet. Are we going to be so obsessed with speed and immediate satisfaction? Maybe not? Maybe there is another form of relation to the world, which is linked to patience. To taking the time of making things right. You cannot compress time, at one point, without compromising on quality.”
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