Did you know that the world's tiniest handbag is so minuscule it can actually fit on the tip of a finger, being even smaller than a single grain of rice? Moreover, this microscopic handbag has been sold at $63,750 at the Pharrell Williams' auction house caller Joopiter.
As designer bag collectors, we could not pass up this fact. Let's explore everything related to this handbag and the reasons someone spent several dozen thousand dollars on an accessory that can only be seen with a microscope.
This microscopic handbag was created by the MSCHF brand. MSCHF is a Brooklyn-based art collective that engages with a variety of mediums including art, fashion, technology, and capitalism.
The collective is known for its creative interventions and critiques within mass and popular culture, often using corporate strategies as a means for artistic expression and commentary.
The brand was founded in 2016 by Gabriel Whaley and operates under the full name MSCHF Product Studio Inc. As of early 2020, MSCHF received an $11.5 million in funding, indicating a significant interest and investment in their unconventional and boundary-pushing projects.
The group does not focus on a single flagship product but instead releases a wide range of items and experiences that challenge conventional consumer expectations and market norms. MSCHF's projects engage and oftentimes blur the lines between product and performance art, making each release a unique event in its own right.
About the microscopic bag
Dubbed the 'Microscopic Handbag', MSCHF has crafted an astonishingly tiny treasure out of photopolymer resin through a cutting-edge technique known as two-photon polymerization. This method, a refined cousin of traditional 3-D printing, is tailored for crafting objects at a microscopic scale. The bag itself is only 657 by 222 by 700 micrometers - to visualize, that's smaller than a chia seed or a grain of salt, close to a dust particle. At a casual glance, this fluorescent, slightly translucent green marvel might be mistaken for a mere fleck of plastic.
That's likely the reason this neon color was chosen for this unique bag; otherwise, one might simply sweep it away during Sunday cleaning. The bag is viewable only through a microscope that was sold together with the bag and features a built-in digital display.
Here's what brand representatives told us about this piece:
"Previous small leather handbags have still required a hand to carry them- they become dysfunctional, inconveniences to their "wearer." Microscopic Handbag takes this to its full logical conclusion. A practical object is boiled down into jewelry, all of its putative function evaporated; for luxury objects, useability is the angels' share."
Apparently, this item was produced with investment purposes in mind. Much like NFTs, it's an art object that isn't meant to serve its primary function: being a bag.
Nevertheless, many collectors might be interested. With multiple bids placed during the auction, it's clear that the microscopic bag has made a splash in the fashion community.
What's The Connection to Louis Vuitton?
image credit: @mschf
So, here's the scoop: MSCHF made this super tiny handbag that's pretty much a copy of the popular Louis Vuitton OnTheGo tote. And guess what? They didn't even ask LV for permission. They're all about doing their thing and dealing with the consequences later. This isn't your usual collaboration; it's more like MSCHF decided to tip-toe around LV's trademarks.
But here's where it gets even more interesting: Pharrell Williams is involved. His auction house, Joopiter, has eventually sold this teeny bag. And if you're keeping up with fashion news, you'd know Pharrell recently got tapped as the men’s designer at Louis Vuitton. So, there's this funny twist where he's kind of connected to both sides of this quirky project.
