JoJo Robinson discovers the best Birkin bag dupe
No Birkin? No problem. Reality star JoJo Robinson has you covered with 'The Tirkin'.
Affordable luxury girlies gather here! 'Real Housewives of Durban' star JoJo Robinson has found a Hermès Birkin bag dupe that won't break the bank.
The Birkin is one of the most sought-after designer bags, but with prices ranging from $4,000 to $400,000 (or about R75,983 to R7,598,319), the average Joe can't keep up with the Kardashians.
One of the most expensive Birkin bags is the Sac Bijou Birkin, which retails for $2 million (R37,991,597).
However, thanks to JoJo, you don't have to spend a fortune on a Birkin. We present to you the Tirkin.
"For all my Girlie's.. I got you. There are very few people that are able to afford really high-end brands, and that's okay.. while online shopping, I came across this, and you know I had to test it out for my girls," she said on Instagram.
JoJo shared a video of herself unwrapping the bag, which she bought on Takealot.
"If you like the look of the Birkin. This bag is a winner. Made from Cow Hide Leather and priced at R1,800 for the 25" version and available in a few colours."
Despite not being a Birkin, the reality star says she was shocked by how high-end it looks.
"What I like is it's NOT a fake version. There are no names on the bag. It's just a bag that looks the same. Lol... but nameless and really high quality."
Thanks to the JoJo effect, most of the colours, except midnight, are currently sold out. The Walmart and Amazon Birkin dupes also went viral and sold out like hotcakes.
JoJo's fans are thrilled she gave them the plug for one they can find in South Africa.
"I thought it’s January and we are all broke and now y'all sold out Tirkins?" one Instagram user joked.
Birkin bags are popular with A-list stars such as Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Victoria Beckham, Jennifer Lopez and Cardi B.
The Birkin bag obsession has gotten so out of hand that celebrities have even bought the pricey bags for their kids – some of whom can't even spell their own names!
In 2020, Cardi B and her then-husband Offset faced backlash after their two-year-old daughter Kulture was gifted an $8,000 (around R133,000 at the time) Birkin bag for her birthday.
"You should have donated that 10k you spent on that Birkin Bag to a charity of your choice in Kultour's name. A two-year-old [doesn't] even know what she has; she wants a regular toy," one Instagram user commented.
Cardi B defended the gift, saying that her daughter's level of style has to match her own.
"When celebrities buy their kids jewelry and designer s**t, people be like, 'kids don't care about that. They only care about toys and candy'. Yeah, they only care about toys and candy, but the thing is the kids also go outside... Kids go to restaurants, kids go to fancy places, celebrity kids, they go do red carpets.
"If I'm fly and daddy's fly, then so is the kid. If I'm wearing Cha-nay-nay [Chanel], my kid's having the same...," she said.
Offset gifts Kulture with her first Birkin 😍 👛
— Love. (@AyanaTheDIVA) July 16, 2020
Niece is looking like “But okay where my toys tho?!” 😂🤣 pic.twitter.com/KwhjerQJAZ
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Kim's Birkin bag collection has also made headlines. The SKIMS founder owns several bags, including a $110,000 (R18,991,000) Haut à Courroies Birkin.
In 2013, her ex-husband Kanye West also bought her a handpainted Birkin bag for Christmas featuring artwork by George Condo. It reportedly cost an eyewatering $40,000 (R759,640).
Birkin bags, like many designer bags, are seen as investments, as some increase in value over time.
"The resale value of particularly the Birkin and Kelly bags over the past 10 years has outpaced gold,” OpenLuxury founder James Firestein told Fortune in 2024.
To each his own, but my R199.99 MRP (Mr Price) bag is good for another year!
Hermes “Birkin” bags are better investments than gold.
— Yasmine Khosrowshahi (@yasminekho) January 13, 2025
But you can’t walk into the store & grab one off the shelf
Even if you have a million dollars in your pocket
Because you don't choose Hermes, Hermes chooses you
Here’s how they sell bags for the price of mansions: pic.twitter.com/UiCuVOrIo0
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Main image credit: iStock
Main image credit: Instagram/JoJo Robinson