If the Hermès Birkin is fashion’s ultimate status symbol, the Boatkin is its sun-loving, canvas-clad cousin – less exclusive, more laidback, and still very much a conversation starter.
Image courtesy: Hathaway Hutton
Launched earlier this year by Philadelphia-based designer Jen Risk, the Boatkin is a mash-up of two icons: the shape and hardware of a Birkin, reimagined using the canvas and character of L.L. Bean’s Boat and Tote. The result? Something that looks like it belongs on both a runway and a ferry.
Each bag is handmade by Risk herself in her home studio. She calls it “quiet luxury with a smirk.” And it shows. The Boatkin doesn’t just play with fashion codes—it gently pokes at them.
Image courtesy: The New York Times
Risk, 41, is a self-taught sewer who launched her brand in 2017. Her past creations include hand-painted Goyard totes and poolwear stitched from vintage Hermès beach towels. The Boatkin is her latest, and perhaps most wearable, concept to date.
Customers can send in their own Boat and Tote to be transformed (starting at $1,200), or opt for one made with materials sourced by Risk (around $1,600). Either way, the process takes time—up to 10 hours per bag, and currently, a six-month wait list. Long? Sure. But compared to the years-long song and dance required for a Birkin, it’s refreshingly straightforward. Over 300 Boatkins have been sold since the style launched earlier this year.
Image courtesy: Hathaway Hutton
So while Marc Jacobs takes his Shadow Birkin to the beach, the Boatkin is the bag that actually belongs there, ready for sand, salt, and summer without a second thought.
- Anna McWhirter posted 2 months ago
- last edited 2 months ago
