Leghila Neoprene B-Bag Tote, $375 via Luisa Via Roma
Around here, we have plenty of fun pointing out those companies who seek to ride each others’ design coattails to financial and sartorial success. Almost every company, big or small, well known or not, fits that descriptor from time to time, but then there are those who take the whole enterprise up several degrees of magnitude. When that happens, we get bags like the Leghila Neoprene B-Bag Tote.
“B” bag? Clever name, folks. Remember when you were a little kid and your sibling would hold his or her finger an inch from your skin and shout “I’M NOT TOUCHING YOU I’M NOT TOUCHING YOU” over and over in order to destroy whatever was left of your fragile childhood psyche? That’s basically what Leghila is trying to do to Hermes with this bag; it more or less amounts to, “I’M NOT CALLING MYSELF A BIRKIN I’M NOT CALLING MYSELF A BIRKIN,” and with a price tag well into the three figures, I’m failing to find any amusement in it. Almost-Birkins are a dime a dozen, and because copyright laws make it very difficult to sue over this kind of intellectual property theft (which, in many cases, is actually a good thing), they will continue to be readily available on the cheap.
I actually do enjoy the vivid neoprene construction. The material is lightweight, takes color beautifully and does well with moisture; it’s a shame that more designers haven’t ventured into its use as an alternative to boring, basic canvas when it comes to less expensive totes and small accessories. Still, though, Birkin knockoffs aren’t clever and they aren’t particularly chic. For the price and the fabric, the brand should have actually taken the time to design their own bag. Buy through Luisa Via Roma for $375.
