TikToker shamed over Charles & Keith 'luxury' bag models for brand's International Women's Day ad

Suzanne Sng
The Straits Times
March 5, 2023

Teenager Zoe Gabriel, who went viral in January over a Charles & Keith “luxury” bag, is now a model for the brand.

The 17-year-old joins a group of women from the home-grown fashion label in its campaign for International Women’s Day, which falls on Wednesday.

In an Instagram post last Saturday, she wrote: “Women are like flowers: Our time and needs to grow may not always align, but that is okay.

“We are like fields of poppy and lakes of lotus – diverse and bold in our differences, beautiful in our own ways.”

She shared a photo of her posing with a purple Alia bag ($75.90), a special edition of one of the brand’s bestsellers.

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by zoe gabriel (@zoeaaleah)

Charles & Keith, which has 600 stores worldwide, will donate 20 per cent of the proceeds from sales of the bag to the Storytelling For Gender Equality programme of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, also known as UN Women.

Zoe Gabriel, Content Creator and CHARLES & KEITH's Brand Community Ambassador, with the purple Alia bag.

The launch of this special iteration of the Alia bag is in support of UN Women's ‘Storytelling for Gender Equality’ programme. pic.twitter.com/Qln9ZOYagY

— Charles_Keith (@Charles_Keith) March 4, 2023

Other models in the campaign include staff from the brand, such as an administrative assistant, a marketing executive and a product manager.

Zoe, who moved with her family to Singapore from the Philippines in 2010, went viral in January for her TikTok video.

In it, she thanked her father for gifting her her “first luxury bag” and excitedly unboxed the $79.90 black bag, the most expensive bag she has ever owned.

@zohtaco

Some netizens mocked her for considering Charles & Keith a luxury brand, but she subsequently posted a follow-up video in which she tearily explained her humble background and spoke about privilege.

@zohtaco Replying to @cressy ♬ original sound - zoe

The oldest of four siblings, who is homeschooled, was later invited by Charles & Keith to tour its headquarters and have lunch with its founders.