Once upon a time, a BIRKIN was just a bag. Then a marketing genius at HERMÈS realized something: the easiest way to make people desperate for something is to tell them they can’t have it. So, they turned a simple leather tote into a mythical status symbol, complete with artificial waitlists, vague “qualifications,” and just enough scarcity to keep people foaming at the mouth.

And it worked.

Today, people don’t just buy luxury bags—they chase, hoard, and finance them like they’re investing in Manhattan real estate. Meanwhile, brands keep hiking up prices, slashing supply, and feeding consumers the same tired lie: that these bags are “exclusive.” Never mind that they’re mass-produced in factories like any other product—just with better lighting and more delicate stitching.

But here’s the real kicker: the wealthy, the ones who are supposedly the “ideal” customers of luxury brands? Many of them don’t even wear their own bags. They lock them in safes, let them appreciate in value, and—wait for it—carry fakes in public.

Yes, you read that right.

This isn’t a theory. It’s reality. Just like billionaires store their BASQUIATS in Swiss freeports while decorating their homes with perfect replicas, high-net-worth individuals do the same with their LOUIS VUITTONS and CHANEL Classic Flaps.

Meanwhile, luxury brands keep convincing middle-class consumers that the ultimate flex is spending their entire paycheck on a bag that will be “out of fashion” next season. Genius, really.

AUTHENTICITY IS A SCAM—HERE’S WHY

What does it actually mean to own an “authentic” luxury bag? A certificate? A receipt? A promise that the leather was stitched together in a particular factory rather than another?

Think about it: if a replica is indistinguishable from the real thing, does it actually matter? When you carry a luxury bag, no one’s whipping out a magnifying glass to inspect the grain of the leather. They’re clocking the logo and making a snap judgment about your status.

And that’s exactly how luxury brands want it. They don’t sell craftsmanship—they sell status perception. The illusion of exclusivity. The idea that you’re better because you have something expensive.

But the truth? Whether your bag is real or fake, it makes zero difference to how people perceive you—unless they’re a reseller, an authentication nerd, or a brand executive with a vested interest in keeping you obedient.

THE NEW STATUS SYMBOL: NOT BEING A SUCKER

The smartest luxury consumers aren’t the ones buying bags. They’re the ones buying the illusion—without actually paying full price for it.

The truth is, luxury today isn’t about what you own. It’s about how well you can manipulate perception. The real status symbol? Knowing the game is rigged and choosing not to play by its rules.

So, the next time someone smugly flexes their real designer bag, just smile. Because, chances are, the actual rich person in the room is carrying a fake—and laughing all the way to the bank.

The price of ‘real’ is just a marketing trick. Here’s how luxury brands sold us the illusion of authenticity.

THE MYTH OF “REAL”: HOW LUXURY BRANDS CONTROL PERCEPTION

Luxury isn’t about quality—it’s about storytelling. Brands like CHANEL and HERMÈS have spent decades convincing the world that authenticity is a moral virtue rather than a marketing tactic. The truth? The materials aren’t rare, the craftsmanship isn’t revolutionary, and the price tags are pure theater. “Real” is just a label they sell you—at a 10,000% markup.

THINKING FOR YOURSELF

At the end of the day, the only thing keeping the luxury illusion alive is blind belief. The elite have figured it out—they wear fakes, store the originals, and laugh all the way to the bank. So the real question isn’t whether your bag is “authentic”—it’s whether you still buy into the scam.