When 25-year-old Naturalista and Celebrity Stylist, Sonique Saturday, created the “You Fake Like This Birkin” handbag under her BellaDonna brand, she had no clue that her clever idea would turn into a fashion must-have for rebel retail lovers. The most notable spotting of Saturday’s bag was when tabloid bad girl, Amber Rose, was caught wearing one in LAX airport on her way to London. Many gossip columns say that it was Amber’s way of subliminally dissing the Kardashian clan. The incident not only helped the BellaDonna brand but increased the thirst of others trying to get their hands on the controversial fashion statement.
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| Photo: shop.soniquesaturday.com |
Saturday shared how she created her bag that has the blogs talking. “Hermès has been around for years, it’s a huge designer out here getting recognition.” She added,
“People started taking interest into Christian Louboutin, Hermès, and a couple other designers. Everybody seemed to want a Birkin bag. It was a hot commodity but expensive as it was, not everybody could afford the bag. Specifically, my age group was targeted but we couldn’t afford it. I always thought to myself that it’s so fake that everybody wants this bag because everybody wants it. So when I first saw the Hermès bag design, I use to write: “Can’t Afford Hermès” on the bag. Everybody thought that was funny, so eventually I kind of changed the phrase around.”
Changing the phrase to “You Fake Like This Birkin,” made Saturday an instant purse pioneer. She said when people go against trends they are often criticized but her BellaDonna handbags are ideal for bold fashionistas. The main goal of Saturday’s message is to encourage others not to find self-worth through materialism.
“It’s just kind of foolish because the people that can’t afford a Birkin, think that life is about affording expensive bags,” Saturday said. “It’s just kind of fake to me that some people need self-evaluation to go as far as sacrificing their student loan money, rent money, and bill money for a bag.”
Saturday knew that in order to get her bags noticed, she would need the perfect person to parade her creation in the public eye. She attests that reaching out to Amber Rose was a critical move for her business.
“She rocked my bag like we went to high school together, like she knew me for years,” Saturday said. "I am so thankful for her. She has gotten me so busy with all these bag orders for the simple fact of her wearing it out. Just linking with her has been a blessing.”
With being a young entrepreneur in her 20s, Saturday has only accomplished a small amount of her goals. She shared where she sees herself and BellaDonna in five years.
"I’m one of those creatives that has so many ideas and plans but I’m really focusing on one thing at a time,” Saturday said. "I know I want to conquer the world but I can’t do it all at one time. I have huge plans and really big dreams but I think in five years I really want to be overseas preferably in Europe. I hope I can be in all the fashion weeks in Paris, London, and Milan. I just want to continue with new, better, and more fabulous designs.”
You can find more of Saturday's work on her website or on Instagram @SoniqueSaturday.
Photos: Courtesy of Sonique Saturday’s Publicist / Instagram
Taylor Bembery is a graduate of Jackson State University from Detroit, Mich. Taylor has had the passion of learning and talking to others about their experiences since she could pick up a pen and pad. She focuses her life around The Seven F’s: Faith, Family, Finances, (her) Future, Fitness, Fashion and Fun. Her life motto is: “I love telling your story.” and she is determined to become a champion for people through storytelling.
