--- title: Weird purses are great for business - The Hustle description: Novelty purses are a great conversation starter, which is good for attention-seeking brands. image: https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/1982649272-HS-News-Brief_2022-08-24T233448.137Z.webp --- # Weird purses are great for business ![Juliet Bennett Rylah](https://53.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/53/assets/hubspot.com/web-team/WBZ/HubSpot%20Media/Blog%202021/Images/Nav/Optimized/TheHustle_Icon_Dark.svg) [Juliet Bennett Rylah](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/author/juliet-bennett-rylah) [Juliet Bennett Rylah Twitter profile ](https://twitter.com/JBRylah) Published: August 25, 2022 Updated: October 11, 2023 A slew of weird, expensive handbags have been circulating on social media, like: ![Weird purses are great for business](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hs-fs/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/1982649272-HS-News-Brief_2022-08-24T233448.137Z.webp?width=595&height=400&name=1982649272-HS-News-Brief_2022-08-24T233448.137Z.webp) - JW Anderson’s 3D-printed [Pigeon Clutch](https://www.jwanderson.com/us/shopping/pigeon-clutch-bag-18382592): $890 - Balenciaga’s garbage bag-inspired [Trash Pouch](https://www.wsj.com/articles/pigeon-clutch-purse-jw-anderson-animal-bag-trends-11660936884): $1,790 Affluent fashionistas love them as conversation starters; brands love the attention. The Trash Pouch scored Balenciaga **54k+** Twitter mentions and nearly **$2m** in media impact value in one week, [per](https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/marketing-pr/balenciaga-trash-bag-luxury/) *Business of Fashion*. Joseph Hancock II, director of Drexel University’s retail merchandising program, [told](https://www.wsj.com/articles/pigeon-clutch-purse-jw-anderson-animal-bag-trends-11660936884) *The Wall Street Journal* that brands also benefit from shoppers who visit their websites due to the buzz but buy something else. #### **Novelty bags are time-tested** People have been making bags that look like other things for centuries — like this 17th-century [frog purse](https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20210119-the-extraordinary-handbags-that-are-both-fashion-and-art) — and haven’t stopped, with novelty purses coming [in and out](https://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/38-000-bc-now-purses-121519744.html) of fashion throughout the decades. - Perhaps the most coveted (and most likely to retain their value) are [Judith Leiber](https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/leiber-judith)’s, the late Hungarian-American designer known for her [crystal-encrusted](https://judithleiber.com/collections/whimsy) creations. Her work retails in the thousands and is often found in museums — and episodes of “[Sex and the City](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKvO8QdWHpM).” **Fun fact:** In 2008, the ~$385 [BAGTV](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/purse-outfitted-televisions-the-bagtv) debuted with a DVD player and external screen, for all your on-the-go movie-watching needs. Topics: [Clothing](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/tag/clothing) ## Follow us on social media prev next - ![Your childhood sneakers are keeping Adidas afloat](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/1051165463-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-Samba_20230906212732.webp) ### Your childhood sneakers are keeping Adidas afloat - ![This company is really into T-shirts](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/689903747-httpsmedia.hubspot.comhubfsDaily20Newsletter20ImagesOlder20DatesApril20102c202023tshirts-buckmason.webp) ### This company is really into T-shirts - ![A Pop-Tarts and Crocs partnership exists because we’re all total suckers](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/1897903693-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-croc-tarts_20230814231514.webp) ### A Pop-Tarts and Crocs partnership exists because we’re all total suckers - ![Using AI for the perfect fit](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/211713850-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-truetoform_20230807230535.webp) ### Using AI for the perfect fit - ![Nike looks to clear some hurdles and hit its stride](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/76411467-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-Nike_20230711001823.webp) ### Nike looks to clear some hurdles and hit its stride - ![LL Bean gave social media the boot but its business still got the kick](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/67270142-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-Outdoor-Activities_20230601224351.webp) ### LL Bean gave social media the boot but its business still got the kick - ![2023 could be really bad for Adidas](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/113398365-HS-News-Brief_2023-02-14T011151.574Z.webp) ### 2023 could be really bad for Adidas - ![Fadeaway: Nike’s latest pivot is bad for brick-and- mortar retail](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/139434517-News-Brief_2020-09-01T005347.846Z.webp) ### Fadeaway: Nike’s latest pivot is bad for brick-and- mortar retail - ![‘Air’ of superiority: Nike’s GOAT shoe bounds forward](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/329226565-final_size-NikeAirMax_20230324004608.webp) ### ‘Air’ of superiority: Nike’s GOAT shoe bounds forward - ![Comfy fashion is paying off](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/86010805-httpsthe-hustle.hubspot.comhubfsDaily20Newsletter20ImagesMarch2023202023ComfyFashion.webp) ### Comfy fashion is paying off Pop up for Subscribe to The Hustle Daily Newsletter Subscribe to The Hustle Daily Newsletter Get the 5-minute news brief keeping 2.5M+ innovators in the loop. 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