Going Viral
How Uniqlo’s ‘Millennial Birkin’ Is Beating Designer Bags
The Japanese retailer is trying to keep up the momentum for its now-ubiquitous shoulder bag with new colors, fabrics and custom embroidery.
A viral TikTok video of a woman reaching into her Uniqlo shoulder bag to pull out a long list of items including headphones, perfume and an EpiPen helped propel the product to global cult status. The company now wants to turn the bag into a fashion staple.
“I don’t think ‘viral’ is really a great word,” says Kanoko Takenokuchi, global merchandising director for Uniqlo, part of Fast Retailing Co. “I have a feeling that it’s not just a passing trend but is becoming a permanent item that will stay in people’s lives for a long time.”