Amber Fehrenbacher, a marketing director who lives in Columbia, Mo., also posted a video criticizing Ms. Mariko’s bag. “In this economy?!?, she needs to read the room,” wrote one commenter on Ms. Fehrenbacher’s video. Several others suggested buying similarly sized totes from Ikea for a fraction of the price. “I’m just so confused, what’s so special,” another wrote.
“People are becoming, you know, just very fatigued by influencers, for sure, especially as they’re struggling to buy the groceries to put in said tote bag,” Ms. Fehrenbacher, 37, said. While she hadn’t been considering purchasing the tote herself, she thought there were lessons to be learned from Ms. Mariko’s new business venture for other creators.
Laura Rubin, a copywriter and business owner from Doylestown, Pa., wasn’t surprised by the bag’s price. She felt it was aligned with the brand Ms. Mariko has long established for herself.
“If you look at her content from day to day, the items that she’s interacting with, for the most part, are expensive,” Ms. Rubin, 38, said. “They’re out of cost for most people, even when she’s going grocery shopping, she’s going at grocery shops that are, usually, more expensive for day to day items. When she’s going on trips, they’re more luxurious trips.” Ms. Rubin also described Ms. Mariko’s 2023 wedding, which was heavily documented online.
“I think it would have been off brand for her to create something that was less than $100,” she added.
The tote bag is currently sold out.
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