In previous eras of internet culture, mockery of the rich and famous was usually relegated to far-left forums. But as 2025 begins, ridiculing the rich appears to have gone mainstream.

Nicknaming it the “Wirkin” bag – a portmanteau of “Walmart” and “Birkin” that also evokes “working class” – TikTok users have championed the bag as a symbol of working- and middle-class solidarity. Sociologists use the concept of “ symbolic interactionism ” to describe how people deploy symbols to understand and communicate social realities.

Fashionistas who’ve long lusted after Hermès exclusive and ultra-expensive Birkin handbag got a pre-holiday treat thanks to Walmart.com. It offered a reasonably close Birkin facsimile bag – dubbed a “Wirkin” on social media for the “working class Birkin” or “Walmart Birkin” – priced around $100, compared to the $10,000 and up for the real thing.

An inexpensive knockoff of the Birkin bag, an exclusive, extremely sought-after leather handbag by luxury brand Hermès that can sell for more than $400,000 US has launched a rousing debate online about fashion accessibility and copycat ethics.

Walmart’s $78 “Wirkin” dupe redefines luxury, sparking debates on inclusivity, exclusivity, and aspiration as social media fuels this cultural and fashion shift.

While authentic Birkin bags are estimated to range from $9,000 - $500,000, the "Walmart Birkin" is less than $100.

The iconic Hermès handbag comes at a high price-point if you can even get your hands on one. What happens if you can pick up something similar at Walmart?

Walmart has the fashion world talking due to some new merchandise. Lisa Kudrow revealed during an interview on “The Drew Barrymore Show” (via People) that she recently discovered a note the late Matthew Perry left for her inside the “Friends” cookie jar,