Canal Street counterfeiters should have no problem knocking off this ridiculous paper man-purse.
The new Jil Sander Vasari bag, which sells for $290, is the most expensive brown paper bag ever made.
This Rolls-Royce of paper bags is rendered from high-durability coated paper, features stitched seams, four metal eyelets (purportedly to allow ham sandwiches to breathe) and the designer’s logo on the bottom.
For really big spenders — and those who have fond memories of bringing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to elementary school — the Vasari also comes in a $630 black leather version with a magnetic clasp.
The simple-looking sack first appeared last winter when a stoic parade of models marched down the fall-winter 2012 runway clutching the rolled-up bags in leather-gloved fists (right).
Now the unassuming accessory — which could easily be mistaken for a third-grader’s lunch — is hitting stores, and women are apparently snapping them up, too, according to some fashion blogs.
And it’s a hit! The bag is sold out on the Jil Sander Web site and it’s even gotten rave reviews from the style bible W Magazine.
The leather version of the bag is “turning a necessity into an indulgence,” the magazine wrote. “Forget recycling — this bag is a keeper.”
Last year, the label sold a $150 acetate (er, plastic) carrier, which mysteriously mimicked flimsy grocery-store bags.
Coated paper
Visible brown-stitched seams on each side
Gold-colored eyelets at bottom
Jil Sander printed logo