CITY slickers who wander through midtown Manhattan around lunchtime are likely to see brown paper takeout bags by the dozens.
But couture lovers, beware: those mild-mannered meals may actually be the latest offering from Yves Saint Laurent.
The brand's recent release continues the trend of designer bags that look like common street trash.
Sure, the Balenciaga bag inspired by Lay's chips makes a nice snack, but the YSLTake-Away Box, $1,890, is a whole meal.
Rendered in luxurious calfskin leather, the fake-out takeout bag sparkles with gilded details and an unsubtle logo.
Despite these minute luxury touches, I had an inkling the bag wouldn't be so hard to recreate at home – and I was right.
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For the low low price of $0.51, I crafted a DIY version of the elaborate, expensive designer purse.
Here's how I might list it on The RealReal: Double-reinforced cardboard, with hand-applied details and branding. Bespoke piece, manufactured in the US.
My gilded detailing is made from the glitter hot glue sticks I bought years ago at the dollar store.
On that same shopping trip, I also bought a bulk pack of press-on transfers I used for the YSL logo.
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And my cardboard is ethically sourced: I asked a Whole Foods employee for permission before I took takeaway containers from the hot bar.
I added my own stylish handles using a recycled grocery bag, and then it was done. Constructing the bag took under fifteen minutes.
But once my treasure was complete, it was time to put it to the test.
I put it through a ruthless gauntlet of random New Yorkers' opinions – and I was majorly surprised by the results.
Before I started hamming it up for the camera, most people didn't give my custom handbag a second glance.
I can't blame them. After all, the incognito design is the whole point of the purse.
But once I started striking poses, people started noticing my bag, and the compliments began rolling in.
"It looks great," said one stranger, who had never heard of the YSL design but stepped in for a closer look at my version.
While we waited to cross the street, I told him about the design I was duplicating, and he immediately ruled in favor of my bag.
"I'd pick yours because it's one of a kind," he said. "It's custom," and nothing is more luxurious than a bag no one else has.
Other people I polled were more practical.
"I think it's just a fad," said one woman, who said a luxury bag ceases to be an "investment piece" when it's not classic and versatile.
The trend of bags modeled after actual garbage will fade away, she warned, and the budget-conscious fashionistas will have the last laugh.
While I was out on the street, I complimented several people on their designer bags, though I was always met with confusion at first.
There were a few kindred spirits, though. I exchanged compliments with a woman who carried a design from my favorite fashion house: Red Lobster.
Worrying the low price point of my purse was too much of a sticking point, I tried my hardest to give YSL a fair shake.
Even when I extolled the elaborate craftsmanship of YSL's bag – a suede interior! bronze hardware! – people took my side.
"I'm not a brand w***e," said one man, who declared my bag "the people's purse."
His lack of snobbery was especially impressive because he happened to be a fluent French speaker – and coached me on my terrible mangling of Yves Saint Laurent.
Most people agreed that the neutral color scheme would be easy to work into an existing wardrobe.
I flagged down a woman in a leopard-print top, similar to my own coat, and she agreed the bag would look chic with her ensemble.
Anyone who saw the bag up close said they'd be willing to carry it.
The only people who didn't seem to like the bag were those who only viewed it from afar.
A couple of people rushing past dismissed me and my bag immediately.
So, I comforted myself, choosing to believe they were hurrying back to the office with leftovers.
The biggest surprise came when a man saw my bag, complimented it, and then pulled out his wallet.
"How much?" he asked, pulling out a $20 bill.
I was shocked by the offer, but once I recovered, I jokingly tried to negotiate for the YSL price point.
He started rifling through his wallet again until I remembered I was on the clock.
It's too bad I had more filming to do, or I would've sold the bag then and there.
I offered to meet him at the same corner next week, and even promised to sell him the bag at cost as a show of good faith.
When I set out with my practical, affordable bag, I definitely didn't expect to get compliments all day long.
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But it seems I have a promising career as an eco-friendly bootleg purse designer – and bespoke bags make for a pretty sweet side hustle.
Interested parties, meet me near the hot bar at your local Whole Foods. I'm charging $1,889.
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