Back in 2019, fashionistas worldwide were left wondering whether the whole micro product trend had gone one step too far when Jacquemus launched the Mini Le Chiquito bag, a purse so small that it could be considered a statement ring at best.
Fast forward a couple of years and humanity never seems to disappoint, with the Brooklyn based art, fashion and tech collective known as MSCHF debuting a handbag so tiny you need a microscope to actually look at it this time.
Just when you thought people couldn’t reach a higher level of ostentatious purchases, a bag that’s practically microscopic in size, with a price tag of a fancy car was put up for sale – and bought! But what is it that makes people who have such money to waste think it’s perfectly okay? It’s a situation of the adage ‘just because you could, it doesn’t mean you should!’
Sure, everyone enjoys having an item that’s a ‘limited edition’ or one which may not be easily purchased. Exclusivity is far from something new, and as people we tend to be reeled in to an offer that may not always be there or available to everyone. It’s the same for the most exclusive no deposit bonus codes when playing at an online casino. The more exclusive the deal, the more tantalizing it is to be taken.
Taking Micro to the Extreme
This handbag, that’s quoted as being ‘smaller than a grain of salt’ (657 x 222 x 700 micrometers just in case you were wondering) was sold off two weeks after the fashion company received tons of negative backlash online, especially when they revealed that the bag was actually ‘narrow enough to pass through the eye of a needle,’ according to a the MSCHF Instagram page.
Nevertheless, despite the fact that the internet hated it, the neon lime green tote bag sold for an impressive $63,750 during an online auction hosted by American record producer Pharell Williams. The highest bidder would also receive a microscope featuring an in-built digital display that allows the buyer to actually view the bag once it’s been delivered.
Micro Bag, Big Vision
The bag was inspired by a popular design from French fashion powerhouse Louis Vuitton, featuring its iconic monogram pattern, and mimicking the full-sized original ‘OnTheGo’ handbag that retails for around $4,000. Instead of fine leather and brassware however, the Microscopic Bag was made from two-photon polymerization, a technical process that is currently used when printing micro-scale parts in 3D resin.
In the appendix published by the company on auction platform Joopiter where the item was eventually sold, there’s a brief synopsis of the manufacturer’s thought process when it came to the creation of this insanely bizarre item. MSCHF explains how even though the micro trend has been extended to its limits, many of these items are too small to be functional, which ultimately leads them to be ‘dysfunctional inconveniences’ rather than a talking point.
The art collective goes on to elaborate how the Microscopic Bag felt like the next natural step to this folly, putting an end to the micro trend once and for all. By condensing it to such a small size it no longer matters that you’ll never be able to wear it or use it, the idea is to turn a concept into an abstract ‘brand signifier’- go figure!