Birkin vs Wirkin: the backlash against the global elite and their luxury bags – podcast

Tony Neil Thompson/Shutterstock

The Birkin bag made by French luxury retailer Hermès has become a status symbol for the global elite. Notoriously difficult to obtain, the world’s rich obsess over how to get their hands on one.

But when US retailer Walmart recently launched a much cheaper bag that looked very similar to the Birkin, nicknamed a “Wirkin” by others, it sparked discussions about wealth disparity and the ethics of conspicuous consumption.

In this episode of The Conversation Weekly podcast...