Uniqlo’s Viral Round Mini Shoulder Bag Popular in Paris; ‘Millennial Birkin’ Has Sold Out Many Times

By Sawa Matsumoto / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

17:09 JST, October 4, 2023

PARIS — Uniqlo Paris Opera reopened in September after being renovated and a Uniqlo shoulder bag dubbed the “millennial Birkin” has been popular, especially among young people.

The crescent-shaped bag named the Round Mini Shoulder Bag is 17 centimeter deep and 28 centimeter wide. The compact crossbody bag has a 10-centimeter gusset and is much larger on the inside than it looks from the outside.

After a British influencer posted about the bag’s storage capacity on her TikTok account last year, it has gone viral. According to British newspaper The Guardian, the bag has been described by fashion insiders as the “millennial Birkin.” The Birkin bag, named after late actress, singer and style icon Jane Birkin, is an expensive status symbol made by luxury brand Hermes.

A 29-year-old journalist who loves using the bag said that she could carry a lot of things even though it is light and small. She also said that the bag was functional as she could maintain free use of both hands due to the bag’s crossbody shape.

The bag was launched about three years ago and is currently available at stores in 25 countries and regions. Considered Uniqlo’s best-selling bag, it has sold out many times. On Sept. 19, Uniqlo issued a statement on its website alerting consumers about counterfeit and similar products on online shopping sites.