The world has gone green-crazy! Well, at least for Anya Hindmarch’s “I’m Not A Plastic Bag” tote. We saw the crowds in London and now have reports that riots almost broke out last night in a Hong Kong shopping center. Apparently, the police had to be called in after hundreds of people waiting in line overnight almost broke down doors. Shopkeepers were worried that mass chaos would ensue if they obliged the massive gathering and refused to open for business. From the article,

“By late morning Hong Kong police were asking people to disperse, but many refused to leave, shouting, ‘open the store.’ Department store Harvey Nicholls distributed flyers telling shoppers their supplies of the bag had already sold out to people who had pre-ordered it. Anya Hindmarch’s Hong Kong store also failed to open today morning, causing fury among the crowds of shoppers gathered outside.”

Wow, chalk this thing up there with Beanie Babies and Pokeman. I think it’s fairly safe to say that demand is stemming from popularity and less from what the bag stands for. Still, if this gets more people to use less plastic bags, I guess that’s a good thing. Unfortunately, we have yet to see Anya change how the bag is made (organic cotton, etc.) in response to its immense popularity. Originally, the designer did not consider organic options because she never intended it to make a splash or have immense popularity. She simply wanted to give people a simple option to plastic bags. Commendable. However, plenty of time has passed between now and then that we’re left wondering why they have not worked on “greening” their new releases. Is it that difficult to source green options for something so immensely popular? See what you started Keira? Check out the video below for a sample of the madness in Hong Kong.

Thanks, Linton!

Categories: Fashion.

About Michael dEstries

Michael has been blogging since 2005 on issues such as sustainability, renewable energy, philanthropy, and healthy living. He regularly contributes to a slew of publications, as well as consulting with companies looking to make an impact using the web and social media. He lives in Ithaca, NY with his family on an apple farm.

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