- Zoe Gabriel, a Singapore-based TikToker, made a video thanking her father for buying her a $60 bag.
- Some commentators mocked 17-year-old Gabriel for calling the bag a “luxury”.
- Gabriel called the negative comments “ignorant” and said she didn’t grow up around wealth.
Loading Something is loading.
Thanks for registering!
Access your favorite topics on the go in a personalized feed. Download the app
A Singapore-based TikToker issued a tearful video response to online hate after being mocked for calling a $60 bag a “luxury”.
On Jan. 8, 17-year-old Zoe Gabriel posted a video with the caption, “My first luxury bag.” In the clip, Gabriel could be seen shopping for a bag from Charles & Keith, a Singaporean fashion brand.
The video was then cut to a clip of Gabriel unpacking her shopping and slinging it over her shoulder. “Thank you dad,” read an additional caption below the post.
Gabriel’s post exploded and received 6.7 million views but received mixed reactions.
While some people wrote positive comments complimenting her and saying they liked her new bag, others seemed to mock her for using the term “luxury” to describe the item being sold on the US The fashion house’s website retails for $76 and Singapore dollars 79.90 is about $60, on its Singapore website.
Some commenters likened her description to “calling a fast food restaurant fine dining” and highlighted fashion brands that are similarly priced but not typically described as “luxury”.
Later that same day, Gabriel responded to a comment that read, “Who’s going to tell her?” followed by a laughing emoji. She filmed a response and explained why she stood by her use of the term “luxury”.
“Growing up, I didn’t have a lot. My family didn’t have much. We couldn’t buy simple things like bread,” she said.
She continued, seemingly tearing up in the clip: “Your comment spoke volumes about how ignorant you seem about your wealth. For you, an $80 bag might not be a luxury. It’s a lot for me and my family, and I’m so thankful my dad was able to get me one. He worked so hard for this money. I can’t believe I hated a bag I was so excited for.”
It was met with an overwhelmingly positive response, receiving 2.1 million views and 171,000 likes, and commenters began writing positive comments under this video as well as under its original post.
“The haters who make fun of you are just too privileged to see things from a different perspective and be happy for someone else. Don’t let that get you down,” wrote one commenter.
“Beautiful bag. Having a father who loves you is a luxury in itself,” said another commenter.
“Thank you for all those who have shown me love and support,” Gabriel said in a follow-up post on Jan. 9, adding, “Remember to be kind and have compassion and have the best day ever.”
@zohtaco
thank you all <3 also a reminder that everyone's life experiences and financial circumstances will be different than yours :) remember what is cheap for you may be anything for another 😃👍🏻
♬ Original sound – zoe 🦋
Gabriel didn’t immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment, but in an email to Singapore-based broadsheet newspaper The Straits Times, the TikToker said it thinks the negative response it initially received “filled the blind spot by people who grew up with privilege and take it for granted. You can’t imagine what it’s like for your peers to grow up in a low-middle income environment, let alone poverty.”
Representatives for Charles & Keith did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment, but told the Straits Times that they took her and her father to lunch with the company’s founders after seeing Gabriel’s video, which also featured “humble beginnings”.
“Our founders believe our products should inspire joy, empower fashion lovers and give them confidence, something we believe she so eloquently presented in her video and we are so grateful for,” a company spokesman told the outlet.
Zoe Gabriel has over 44,000 TikTok followers and she usually posts lifestyle content where she shares information about herself with her followers, e.g. B. Facts about her Filipino heritage and family.
On TikTok, influencers have previously come under fire for discussing large and expensive purchases and facing accusations of being privileged or out of touch.
In October, Insider reported that an influencer received backlash for saying she “accidentally” bought a $100,000 couch, which later apparently suggested the whole thing was a prank. In November, another influencer said she spent $10,000 on Harry Styles so she could be near the stage, drawing criticism from commentators who said the level of spending was beyond the means of many ordinary people would.
For more stories like this, check out Insider’s Digital Culture team’s coverage here.