Meet the ‘Firkin’: Why social media is obsessed with this plastic Birkin dupe

A witty play on the ultra-expensive Hermès Birkin, a “Firkin” is a soft, semi-transparent plastic handbag mimicking the luxury silhouette

If your social media feed is suddenly full of see-through, candy-coloured bags, you are looking at the internet’s latest obsession: the Jelly Firkin.

While a real Hermès Birkin costs anywhere from ₹8 lakh to over ₹25 lakh with a years-long waitlist, these plastic versions retail for a budget-friendly ₹1,500 to ₹4,800 on local e-commerce sites and Instagram stores. (Photo: Instagram)

A witty play on the ultra-expensive Hermès Birkin, a “Firkin” is a soft, semi-transparent plastic handbag mimicking the luxury silhouette complete with top handles and a front belt.

The trend kicked off in South Korea through brands like Deinet before blowing up globally via K-pop idols and TikTok influencers flaunting pastel shades like mint green, butter yellow, and sorbet pink.

While a real Hermès Birkin costs anywhere from ₹8 lakh to over ₹25 lakh with a years-long waitlist, these plastic versions retail for a budget-friendly ₹1,500 to ₹4,800 on local e-commerce sites and Instagram stores.

Fuelled by early-2000s Y2K nostalgia, fashion fans are treating the transparent plastic as a blank canvas, styling them with colourful inner pouches, ribbons, and cute plush bag charms.

On social media, users have mixed reactions. One user said, “Finally, a Birkin I can actually take out in the rain without crying!” . Another commented, “It’s literally just plastic and ugly, I don’t get the hype at all.” Third added, ““Microtrend alert! You’ll use it for two months and get sick of it.”