SJP Reveals She Carried a Fake Birkin on SATC

[jiljenner]

I did search the forum for any news of this, so my apologies if it's already been discussed somewhere. I thought it was relevant to the forum because SATC had such an indelible impact on the "mainstreaming" of Hermès, and I thought this was interesting because I had no idea that TV-quality fakes had been around since (at least) 2002! From the article:

During her “Life in Looks” interview with Vogue released Wednesday, Sarah Jessica Parker divulged that the bright blue Hermès bag she carried in a 2002 episode of “Sex and the City” was actually a fake.

The actress toted the knockoff as a way to hide her baby bump, as she was pregnant with son James Wilkie while filming Season 5 of the HBO hit.

“That is not a real Hermès bag, just so you know,” SJP, 56, recalled while revisiting the look. “Pat [Field, the series’ costume designer], like, had a person. And she was like, ‘Do you want one? I could get you one.'”

And the article itself: PAGE SIX: Sarah Jessica Parker reveals she carried a fake Birkin on ‘Sex and the City’

Thoughts?

 

[lill_canele]

Well, while I do appreciate the honestly. I'm still sad a fake was made.

 

[jaskg144]

That is really strange - especially for a show with such a huge costume budget, with so many designer pieces dotted around. They had monogrammed LV trunks for Charlotte’s luggage, but they couldn’t find a real Birkin for Carrie…? they even showed one in the episode where Samantha tried to get one. This has me thinking about Samantha’s ostrich B from SATC2 I wonder if that one was authentic…

 

[hermesgeek]

That is really strange - especially for a show with such a huge costume budget, with so many designer pieces dotted around. They had monogrammed LV trunks for Charlotte’s luggage, but they couldn’t find a real Birkin for Carrie…? they even showed one in the episode where Samantha tried to get one. This has me thinking about Samantha’s ostrich B from SATC2 I wonder if that one was authentic…

That “You broke my birkin” line still gives me anxiety lol but yes, Samantha’s ostrich birkin in SATC 2 was very very fake. Like VERY fake. It’s actually more birkin-inspired than it is fake because it doesn’t even look like a replica of the real one. I know they were going to ruin the Birkin for the scene so it would be absurd to use a real one. However, they could’ve at least found one that looks real, I mean just to give respect to Samantha’s character like she would never carry something looking like that lol I’m actually really disappointed with the costume department, I don’t understand how it was approved by the picture!

 

[jaskg144]

That “You broke my birkin” line still gives me anxiety lol but yes, Samantha’s ostrich birkin in SATC 2 was very very fake. Like VERY fake. It’s actually more birkin-inspired than it is fake because it doesn’t even look like a replica of the real one. I know they were going to ruin the Birkin for the scene so it would be absurd to use a real one. However, they could’ve at least found one that looks real, I mean just to give respect to Samantha’s character like she would never carry something looking like that lol I’m actually really disappointed with the costume department, I don’t understand how it was approved by the picture!View attachment 5341337View attachment 5341338

Oh god... I'd never seen it up close and WOW that is awful. I never realised how long the handles were! I suppose I wasn't fake-spotting when I've been watching SATC because I expected everything to be authentic. It makes me wonder how they got away with calling it a Birkin. I remember Britney Spears decorated the interior of a truck with fake LV cherry blossom canvas in a music video once and it was banned from being played in Europe.

 

[ce_1992]

I did a rewatch of OG SATC a few months ago and there was a whole episode of Samantha buying knockoff handbags on the west coast, including a Fendi, and then she goes with Carrie to the playboy mansion and accuses one of Hef’s girlfriends of stealing her fake, only for her to embarrass herself when the Playmate’s was real

so while I understand using a rep for the scene where a Birkin is broken (my mom and I actually talked earlier about how much weight we think a Birkin could hold! They’re sturdy bags) since breaking a $18k+ bag doesn’t make sense, the scene of Carrie having a fake is odd.

 

[maxroxxherhandbags]

hearing this depresses me...I hate the idea of anyone knowingly buying counterfeit designer goods and to so knowingly and showing the item on TV masquerading as real..just yuk!

 

[jiljenner]

That is really strange - especially for a show with such a huge costume budget, with so many designer pieces dotted around. They had monogrammed LV trunks for Charlotte’s luggage, but they couldn’t find a real Birkin for Carrie…? they even showed one in the episode where Samantha tried to get one. This has me thinking about Samantha’s ostrich B from SATC2 I wonder if that one was authentic…

I think you've summarized my core feelings on this. When I initially read the article, it felt weird to me, for reasons I couldn't put into words. SATC was a fashion darling; designers were quite literally tossing their pieces to the costume departments for the exposure. So knowing that, and then also knowing that the show had such a large costume budget...

I think, though, that I worry about the message the revelation unintentionally sends. Especially as brands are battling superfakes (that, in some cases, are so good that respected authentication houses have plainly stated they will no longer offer authentication), it seems a bit... odd, to be so casually dropped, and by someone so beloved by these brands.

Also, now having the knowledge (shared above) that there were at least two counterfeit goods paraded on SATC? I just don't know.

 

[KellyObsessed]

I have a friend who works in film, and clearances are extremely important as it can cost the production thousands of dollars is a product gets shown on screen without the brand/owner's approval and signed clearance. Hermes likely didn't respond, or wouldn't agree to them using their Brand name, so they just used a look alike. They could use the word "Birkin" as it isn't trademarked.
I recall reading that the Birkin in the scene Samantha purchased for Lucy Liu was fake too.

 

[QuelleFromage]

I have a friend who works in film, and clearances are extremely important as it can cost the production thousands of dollars is a product gets shown on screen without the brand/owner's approval and signed clearance. Hermes likely didn't respond, or wouldn't agree to them using their Brand name, so they just used a look alike. They could use the word "Birkin" as it isn't trademarked.
I recall reading that the Birkin in the scene Samantha purchased for Lucy Liu was fake too.

"Birkin" is trademarked by Hermès, though.

 

[leechiyong]

Honestly, I'm not surprised. I know the LV Rachel carried on the last episodes of Friends was a fake too. The show I wonder about is Gilmore Girls. There was a Birkin bag in that (and a bit of LV luggage) and it didn't look as off as Samantha's bag above, but it was ostrich as well and I'm not sure if they'd really allocate that much of their budget to one bag.

 

[KellyObsessed]

"Birkin" is trademarked by Hermès, though.

Hermes trademarked Birkin in 2005, and the Sex and The City series ended in 2004.
Film productions take clearances very seriously, and check with brands to get permission for items they want to include in scenes.

 

[QuelleFromage]

Hermes trademarked Birkin in 2005, and the Sex and The City series ended in 2004.
Film productions take clearances very seriously, and check with brands to get permission for items they want to include in scenes.

They could use the word "Birkin" as it isn't trademarked.

You used present tense, and the movies came out much later.

 

[KellyObsessed]

Sorry about that. I'm really just trying to say that I don't think Hermes will give their permission for anyone to use their intellectual property, which is why Birkins are usually turned around in a shot to make sure the Hermes stamp/name is not visible.
I notice this in many reality/housewives shows.

 

[hermesgeek]

It’s possible that in the early 2000s, Hermès product placement and PR was more aggressive than it is in the later years. Like the brand really chose tv shows, movies, etc as their medium for stealth advertisements. For example, in season 4 episode 11 of SATC, where the Birkin’s status was highlighted into the the mass media, that episode wasn’t just an episode with a birkin in it. The Birkin starred in that episode while the plumes, vibrato bags, etc behind it weren’t just props but a full on subtle advertisement.

Like if we’re talking about clearances in productions, I’m pretty sure Hermès was very into it. Possibly not during the later years but in that era, they definitely wanted recognition.

Another early 2000s movie was Serendipity where John Cusack was fishing for a customer account from Eugene Levy in Bloomingdale’s

Hermès a hundred percent was in it to win it lol
Like for sure lol