Latest news with #JenRisk
Daily Mail
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Internet divided over fresh twist on the pricey Birkin bag... So would you wear it?
A Philadelphia designer has sparked a debate online after transforming classic tote bags into luxury handbags that cost more than some people's rent. The 'Boatkin' - part Birkin, part tote - is a bargain vintage LL Bean Boat and Tote bag restructured to mimic the style of the luxury Hermes Birkin bag that can cost upwards of $10,000. The controversial bag is the creation of Jen Risk, founder of brand Hathaway Hutton. The Hathaway Hutton website describes the Boatkin as 'a super fun super niche super useful tote bag that you can spill an entire nitro cold brew in and not have one ounce of guilt about it.' Risk, who describes her creation as 'quiet luxury with a smirk,' charges between $1,200 and $1,600 for each custom bag. 'I wanted to mess with the seriousness of it all and give it some personality,' she told the New York Times in a recent interview: The bag is priced at a staggering markup from the original L.L. Bean tote's which comes with a $35-$55 price tag. The designer has already sold over 300 Boatkins since launching the concept. There is now a six-month waiting list for delivery - not yet at the level of the notorious Hermès Birkin waitlist that can last years. Shoppers are now divided over the idea with many slamming the bag online, the creator acknowledged. 'Most people love it, which has been really fun,' Risk said. 'A few people get weirdly mad.' 'Wdym old and tattered LL Bean Boat and Totes are being hacked into a Boatkin and being sold for $1,500?!? I'm scratching my head a bit but ngl, I kinda want one,' one conflicted user wrote on X. Others commented: 'Obsessed,' while claiming it's the 'bag of the summer.' The product is made from 'excellently crafted vintage canvas totes, hand cut and hand sewn,' according to the website. 'Every single square inch of fabric and canvas from the original tote has been used (no really... there's like 2 square inches of waste leftover).' The website also tells customers to 'Please ONLY purchase a Boatkin™ if you know and understand that vintage totes were 'used and abused' by the people that loved them before I took them to the chopping block to give them a new life. 'While I clean the canvas very well (like... with a power washer) there may still be stains that you will see from water, dirt, pen, dogs, life, etc,' the website warns. 'Some totes have writing on the front or back (see our example Boatkin with the #21 written in sharpie on the rear). Each one is unique and one of a kind. No two are the same!'
New York Times
30-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
The Birkin Inspires Yet Another Homage
Hop aboard a Hampton Jitney bus or a ferry to Nantucket this summer and you will probably see some L.L. Bean Boat and Totes, or maybe even an Hermès Birkin. You might also spot a new bag that looks like the child of those two: the Boatkin. Introduced in January by Hathaway Hutton, a brand in Philadelphia, Boatkins are made of canvas — some from old Boat and Totes — and have a shape and hardware similar to those of Birkins. 'Quiet luxury with a smirk' is how Hathaway Hutton's founder, Jen Risk, described the bag. 'I wanted to mess with the seriousness of it all and give it some personality.' Ms. Risk, 41, a self-taught sewer who started her brand in 2017, has positioned herself as a sort of Dr. Frankenstein of luxury goods: She has sold hand-painted Goyard totes and pool attire made of vintage Hermés beach towels. The Boatkin bag is her newest creation, and is among the latest accessories to borrow some of the Birkin's clout. See: Telfar's Shopping Bag, also known as the 'Bushwick Birkin'; the design collective MSCHF's 'Birkinstock' sandals; and Slow and Steady Wins the Race's four-sided Birkin replica. Each Boatkin is made in a work space at Ms. Risk's home, she said, a process that can take up to 10 hours. (A Birkin, by comparison, can take more than 18 hours to make, while a Boat and Tote can be stitched together in under 10 minutes.) Boatkins made from Boat and Totes provided by customers start at about $1,200; versions made with materials sourced by Ms. Risk, at about $1,600. She has sold more than 300 bags since introducing the style. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
