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Bad Fashion Flashback: The Olsen Twins’ $55k Pill Purse

In 2012, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen took high fashion to a new level of ridiculousness by launching the now-infamous pill purse. It was a leather purse adorned with prescription pills and the price was a jaw-dropping $55,000.

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Here’s what Budget Fashionista said about the bag in 2012:

Seriously, folks.  The Olsen twins are at it again, this time releasing their limited edition luxury handbags from their fashion line, The Row, that feature (deep breath) colorful prescription pills adhered to black patent crocodile leather. Sure, proceeds go to UNICEF (a wonderful thing) but I can’t help making that scrunched nose “eewww” face every time I see a pic of the “luxury” item and its INSANE price tag.

Black bag adorned with prescription pills, known as the Olsen twins' pill purse.

One part of me thinks the bizarre design is some twisted inside joke between the twins and the select few who can’t wait to, um, swallow up this must-have bag created by artist Damien Hirst. And then there’s the “for shame” and “tsk tsk” line of thinking that the style is glamorizing drug use. 

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Fast forward 10 years and that bag is still ugly, inappropriate, and overpriced. If you don’t look too closely at it, you might mistake the pills for cupcake sprinkles or confetti — which is less inappropriate but doesn’t change the ugly and overpriced assessment.

Still, as I revisited the pill purse topic, I had some questions:

  • Did anyone buy the pill purse?
  • Can you find them on Poshmark?
  • Would the purse’s fate be different today, when “influencers” dictate purchasing decisions?

Does the pill purse live on?

As far as I can tell, the pill purse is long gone. There were only 12 of crocodile leather bags made and they did not all have pills as the design element of choice.

Whether anyone bought the pill bag is a question I can’t answer. But certainly if you spent $55k on a rare bag, you wouldn’t sell it on Poshmark.

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Could influencers push a pill purse?

Influencers can sell ugly bags. But one with a $55k price tag? I’m not so sure. That’s the sad thing about this whole story. If you want to raise money for a cause, maybe start with a purse someone will actually buy.

If the Olsen twins wanted to raise dough for UNICEF today, they could relaunch that bag for $75 and let the influencers go wild. Maybe they could drop the pills and use candy instead (or little lipsticks or stilettos or a thousand other things…). Or, they could double-down on the whole drug idea and launch bags adorned with needles and bongs, too.

The Row brand today

The Row label still exists today. According to the U.S. Sun, the high-end brand was profitable as of 2020. Actually, The Row made headlines that year because the company’s former president who is also Ashley’s ex-beau had filed suit against the twins.

That gossip aside, The Row’s styles are relatively subdued these days. The women’s ready-to-wear collection features solid-colored basics made of viscose, wool, silk, linen, and cashmere. If you’re itching to drop $1,500 on a pair of wide-legged wool/mohair pants, The Row has what you need.

Oddly enough, the brand’s current handbag collection is what I like best about the line. First, there’s nothing that even whiffs of controversy. Just some quality-looking bags in interesting shapes (half moon is my favorite) and pretty colors (blue leather).

Half-moon bag by The Row.

Unfortunately for this budget fashionista, those bags retail for $1,200+. So you won’t be seeing me stashing my cell in a bag by The Row anytime soon.