Beyoncé has declared the Hermès Birkin bag is officially over in her newly released album, Renaissance.
It’s no surprise that the singer’s seventh studio album, which dropped on 29 July, is already a summer hit. But what caught many fans’ eyes -- or rather ears -- was Beyoncé’s ruthless annihilation of the Birkin bag.
In the album’s final track titled “Summer Renaissance”, Beyoncé mentions her Birkins are collecting dust in storage. Instead, she prefers the Black-owned brand Telfar, which the singer has been repping since 2021. Affectionately nicknamed the “Bushwick Birkin,” the Telfar Shopping Bag has become a cult-favourite accessory among fashion lovers for its affordable pricing and its simple yet luxurious design.
“This Telfar bag imported. Birkins, them sh*ts in storage,” she sings, over a sampled beat of Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love”.
Telfar and Birkin weren’t the only luxury brands Beyoncé name dropped in the track. She also gave a shout out to some of her favourite labels, including Versace, Prada, Balenciaga, and Givenchy. “This haute couture I’m flaunting,” she sings on the same track.
Beyoncé was first spotted carrying the Telfar bag designed by Telfar Clemens while walking in Brooklyn last year. The singer sported the medium white shopping bag which retails at $202, but like every other bag on the Telfar website, it is currently sold out. Beyoncé also showed love to the Liberian-American designer when she posed with the white Telfar bag in a photo posted to her Instagram page.
As for her vast collection of Birkin bags, which range from $8,500 to more than $300,000 per item, it seems like it will be some time before we see Beyoncé break them out of storage.
“Beyoncé said buy Telfar instead of a Birkin,” one fan said in response to the lyric.
“Beyoncé said her Birkin’s are in storage. That might be the richest line of the night,” tweeted another fan.
The highly-anticipated album Renaissance was released on 29 July to overwhelming praise from critics, declaring the album a “proud comeback” for the singer. The album features 16 tracks, including the lead single “Break My Soul”. According to Beyoncé, Renaissance serves as the first installment of a three-act project.
