Is it fair to call other bags "Birkin Copycats"?

Totally unfair and actually rather rude. Everything is inspired by something – that is life.

I think it’s perfectly fine that many brands take inspiration from the Birkin. For example Saint Laurent’s Sac De Jour, Dior’s Diorever and Louis Vuitton’s City Steamer clearly take aspects and design features. Yet each of the three bags mentioned couldn’t look more different.

Not everyone can afford or wants to spend $10k+ on a bag. There is no shame in that. I would much rather see someone carrying a B-inspired Michael Kors than a fake Birkin.

Thin ice? ??? For every birkin inspired bag style, I can think of another (at least 10) other bag shapes that are represented in every other design house. The LV Alma, Hermes Bolide, Prada Promenade. The Boy, the Diorama. The Hermes and Gucci Jackie bag face off. The wallet-on-chain wave. A bucket bag is a bucket bag is a bucket bag. The Speedy, otherwise known as the Boston bag in every other brand. And perhaps many different variants to the top handle Kelly. No one should be made to feel that she is carry a copycat bag, in any of the above bag choices. As long as the Brand is respectable in its creative execution of the bag style, presenting it with integrity that the Brand can and will stand by, where the bag not a direct replicate of the bag or style of inspiration, it can be within the evoked set of any consumer. In today’s market place, you see similar style/function propositions not just in bags, but in shoes, watches, and jewellery. As long as you make a honest choice that you love, and not fall prey to counterfeits – this is a no-no for sure – wear it the way you would. I have read several reviews where critics were quick to reference the Diorever to the Birkin, but the two bags are actually quite different. True that for the : Double handles, ‘top loading’, with flap over closure. But otherwise, I wouldn’t compare them, it’s roses vs oranges. I had a girl friend compare the Hermes Lindy to the Loewe puzzle bag. It’s all a matter of perspective I guess. I am a proponent of intellectual property, so I say, if we avoid the obvious direct ripoffs, and stay away from fakes, we will do just fine?

I don’t think they should be called copycats. There are only so many shapes of bags that can be made. Just because the Birkin happened to be first and the most famous doesn’t mean that every other structured, rectangular bag with top handles is directly copying the Birkin. Don’t so why so many people are hung up on this.