A microscopic bag measuring only 657 by 222 by 700 microns was sold on an auction for $63,000 (approx. 52 lakh). The bag which is barely visible to the naked eye is of a fluorescent yellowish green colour and is made based on a Louis Vuitton design.

The bag has been made by a Brooklyn based group MSCHF which claims that the bag is wide enough to pass through the eye of a needle but smaller than a grain of salt.

The object was made using two-photon polymerization, a manufacturing technology used to 3D-print micro-scale plastic parts. It was sold alongside a microscope which allows a person to view it.

The sale was hosted by Joopiter, an online auction house founded by American musician, record producer and designer Pharrell Williams. MSCHF’s chief creative officer Kevin Wiesner previously told the New York Times that the collective had not sought his or the French label’s permission to use its logo or design. “Pharrell loves big hats, so we made him an incredibly small bag,” he told the newspaper.

The art collective is known for its rather unusual art projects, one such project was the ‘Satan shoes’ after which they were sued by Nike. The shoes had Satanic symbols and even real human blood and 666 pairs of such Nike modifies sneakers were made. The lawsuit was later settled out of court

In 2021, the group ripped up four Birkin handbags to create sandals (dubbed “Birkinstocks”) that it offered for up to $76,000 a pair. More recently, its cartoonish rubber boots, known as “Big Red Boots,” became a viral sensation after being worn by stars including Doja Cat, Iggy Azalea and Janelle Monáe.

MSCHF published a statement alongside the auction listing saying that the fashion industry’s love of small bags had seen them “steadily more abstracted” to the point that the accessory is “purely a brand signifier.”

“Previous small leather handbags have still required a hand to carry them — they become dysfunctional, inconveniences to their ‘wearer,’” the statement added. “‘Microscopic Handbag’ takes this to its full logical conclusion. A practical object is boiled down into jewellery, all of its putative function evaporated; for luxury objects, usability is the angels’ share.”