It’s been de rigueur for young, edgy, look-at-me designers to make handbags out of stuffed animals for several years now. Some veer toward the cute (Mandy Coon and her bunny rabbit), some veer toward the strange (Giles Deacon and his triceratops), and now the Christopher Raeburn Quilted Water Rat Shoulder Bag takes a turn for the decidedly, purposefully grotesque.
As revolting as the thought of a rat is to most people (especially New Yorkers), the sight of a pink rat (shaved? skinned? who knows.) strikes me as particularly nauseating. On this bag, the Xed eyes give the distinct impression that this little critter, although made of nylon, is intended to invoke a dead rat, and a dead swimming rat at that. The mere idea of a water rat is enough to keep me out of lakes and ponds for the duration, even though I’m not 100% certain that’s their natural habitat. I’d rather not find out, and these days I’m afraid to Google anything that might bring up less-than-pleasant photos, lest I find myself bombarded with this bag’s real-life inspiration.
A bag this odd requires reader input, as far as I’m concerned, so kindly pick an adjective and place it in the comments. If you’re looking for an expensive way to freak out your nieces and impress your nephews, pick up this bag for $328 via Matches.
