Two weeks ago, Brooklyn-based unisex brand Telfar took to Instagram to share a message that many of the brand’s cult-like fans thought was their golden ticket to finally obtaining one of its iconic Shopping Bags. In it was an alert that a restock of the bags, which notoriously sell out in seconds, was coming. The Shopping Bag has been called the “Bushwick Birkin”— first, by makeup artist Xya Rachel, and later, by everyone who reads The Cut — for its reputation in the fashion industry as the bag to own, more so in some circles than even the Hermès purse it gets its nickname from. It is available in three sizes, an ever-growing array of colorways, and costs between $150 and $257, depending on size. The only problem is, with its affordable price tag and covetable reputation, actually getting your hands on one is next to impossible. And that’s before the bots and resellers come in.
How Bots & Resellers Are Ruining Democratic Fashion
