MSCHF got people scratching their heads (and in some cases angry responses) with their Big Red Boots. That was an intentional parody that people either understood or liked anyway. They’ve done the same thing again with their Microscopic Handbag which is literally smaller than a grain of sea salt.
Measuring in at 657 x 222 x 700 micrometres, the Louis Vuitton OnTheGo tote inspired bag isn’t going to be exactly functional but that is exactly the point.
MSCHF’s chief creative director, Kevin Wiesner, said that the Microscopic Handbag is a commentary on the shrinking of luxury handbags as what was once desired for its functionality has become a conspicuous accessory with practicality as an afterthought.
“I think ‘bag’ is a funny object because it derives from something rigorously functional,” Wiesner told The New York Times. “But it has basically become jewellery.”
Several industrial manufacturers who specialise in biotechnology were approached by MSCHF to create the bag with resin through a microscopic 3D printing process known as two-photon polymerisation.
The bag isn’t for the mass market, instead it was created for the “Just Phriends” sale, an auction curated for Pharrell’s Joopiter auction house, by colette co-founder, Sarah Andelman, opening on June 19.
As Wiesner said, “Pharell loves big hats, so we made him an incredibly small bag.”
MSCHF are a little late with their small bag commentary as the recent trend has been to go larger, sometimes comically so, but who’s to say that the trend won’t swing around the other way soon?
