A high-end fashion brand is at the center of social media buzz after introducing a designer bag that is “smaller than a grain of salt.”
MSCHF, the company behind a pair of highly publicized $350 giant rubber cartoon boots, has taken its passion for sartorial stunts a step further by launching a wallet so small it has to be viewed through a microscope to properly see its contents. design.
The aptly named “Microscopic Bag” measures just 657 by 222 by 700 microns, according to a statement from the brand — which will be auctioning off the speck-sized purse at Pharrell William’s Just Phriends sale later this month.
But while the teeny-tiny accessory pays homage to a popular style item — a Louis Vuitton wallet — its connection to one of fashion’s favorite houses hasn’t seen it brutally trolled on social media, where users are quick to discover the poking fun at the ridiculous nature of the design.
The 3D printed microscope bag measures 657 by 222 by 700 microns
The bag will be sold at Pharrell’s Just Phriends auction from June 19 to 27 in Paris
It comes with a ‘case pre-assembled under a microscope, with a digital display’
MSCHF announced the launch of the bag on its Instagram account, where it described the itsy-bitsy design as “the last word in bag miniaturization,” writing in the caption, “There are large handbags, regular handbags, and small handbags, but this one is the last word in pocket miniaturization.
“As a once functional object like a handbag gets smaller and smaller, its object status becomes more and more abstract until it is purely a brand signifier.”
The 3D-printed microscopic bag is modeled after Louis Vuitton’s OnTheGo MM bag, which typically sells for around $3,100.
MSCHF noted that it chose that particular Louis Vuitton bag as its muse because of its sand-sized design, as the LV logo could still be seen on the microscopic 3D-printed creation.
“The bag is made of resin through a process called two-photon polymerization, which is a type of 3D printing for microscopic objects,” said Kevin Wiesner, MSCHF’s chief creative officer. The New York Times.
When the bag’s samples arrived in his office months ago, he admitted that the team lost some of them because of the miniature size.
It will be presented at Pharrell’s Just Phriends auction, which begins June 19, and can be viewed in person by the public at 8 Avenue Matignon in Paris from June 20-24.
The photo of the microscopic bag got more than 75,000 likes and a social media frenzy took over
During the auction it will be ‘broadcast on a built-in digital display’ for all to see.
The bag is “sold in a sealed gel box pre-assembled under a microscope with a digital display.”
Pharrell is not only behind the auction, he has also recently become head of menswear at Louis Vuitton.
Kevin kept that relevance in mind, because “Pharrell likes big hats, so we made him an incredibly small bag.”
Despite that obvious connection between Pharrell and Louis Vuitton, Kevin didn’t ask for permission to use the logo.
He said, “We’re big on the ‘ask forgiveness, not permission’ school.”
Kevin talked about what bags have “become”: “I think ‘bag’ is a funny object because it’s derived from something strictly functional, but it’s actually become a piece of jewelry.”
According to the brand, “As a once functional object like a handbag gets smaller and smaller, its object status becomes more and more abstract until it is purely a brand signifier.
‘Earlier small leather handbags still required a hand to carry them – they become dysfunctional, inconveniences to the wearer.
A swarm of fashionistas scoffed at tweets and memes about the ‘grain sandbag’
‘Microscopic Handbag takes this to its logical conclusion. A practical object is reduced to jewelry, all its supposed function evaporated; for luxury objects, practicality is the share of the angels.’
As soon as MSCHF posted the microscope bag, the jokes and memes took over social media.
Fashionistas mock it: “Will this fit under an airplane seat?”
Pharrell is not only behind the auction, he has also recently become head of menswear at Louis Vuitton
Someone wants it for “high art”: “Honestly, if I were really rich I’d buy this and put it under a magnifying glass case, it would be funny.”
One person hilariously wrote, “Finally a bag that fits all that money.”
Another compared the microbag to microdollars: “Can I pay for it in microdollars?”
One fan of the brand wrote, “You always do too much, but I fw it.”
The bag hilarious about one person: ‘Finally a bag that fits all my patience.’
One commenter was confused by the bizarre bag: “You’re so extra, it’s wild.”
A Kardashian follower mentioned Kourtney’s infamous quote, “Kim, people are dying.” – K”
With the brand’s premise of “structured chaos,” this isn’t the first time MSCHF has designed something obscene.
MSCHF is also behind the infamous red boots, the infamous Satan shoes that contain a drop of blood and were advertised by Lil Nas X, and the Jesus shoe with holy water in the sole.