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Singapore teen ridiculed for calling $60 bag gifted to her by her father ‘luxury’

charles keith luxury bag
via @zohtaco

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    A video of a Singaporean girl sharing her excitement after receiving a bag went viral on TikTok for the wrong reasons. 

    On Sunday, TikTok user Zoe (@zohtaco), aged 17, uploaded a video of herself receiving and unboxing a Charles & Keith bag from her father with the caption, “my first luxury bag.” 

    The TikTok went viral, garnering over 6.3 million views and 540,000 likes as of this writing.

    @zohtacothank you dad 🥹♬ Glitch – Just audios

    Zoe films herself excitedly unpacking the bag, which she later said cost 80 Singaporean dollars (approximately $60), and modeling the new purchase. However, many TikTok users teased the teen for calling Charles & Keith, a Singaporean fashion brand founded in 1996, a luxury brand. 

    “Who’s gonna tell her? ” one user commented. 

    “I get that you come from humble beginnings but calling c&k a luxury brand is just too much,” another wrote.

    On the same day, Zoe responded to the former with an explanation video on her page.

    @zohtaco Replying to @cressy ♬ original sound – zoe 🦋

    “Money is the topic that makes me most uncomfortable to talk about, and that is because growing up I did not have a lot,” the teen confesses. 

    “Your comment spoke volumes on how ignorant you seem because of your wealth,” Zoe says in response to the mocking TikTok user. “To you, an $80 bag may not be a luxury, but for me and my family it is a lot.”

    “I can’t believe I got hate over a bag that I was so excited to have.”

    Despite the negative responses, Zoe began to receive love and support on social media, including from the Charles & Keith TikTok account, which commented, “Love your pick ♥️,” on her initial video. 

    “Nobody starts at the same road, disgusting comments on what defines luxury for someone,” wrote another commenter. “You go love!”

    “A bag bought by a dad with his endless love for his daughter is always a luxury bag,” responded another.

    On Monday, Zoe uploaded a final video thanking everyone for their supportive comments.

    @zohtacothank you everybody &lt3 also a reminder that everyone’s life experiences and financial circumstance will be different from yours 🙂 remember that what is cheap for you may be everything to another 😃👍🏻♬ original sound – zoe 🦋

    “Thank you everybody <3 also a reminder that everyone’s life experiences and financial circumstance will be different from yours,” the teen wrote in the video’s description. “Remember that what is cheap for you may be everything to another.”

    A spokesperson for Charles & Keith told Marketing-Interactive that the company is aware of Zoe’s story and have invited her and her father to lunch with the founders and a tour of the company’s headquarters.


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