After Virality: Pierre Laborde on Making the Internet's New Birkin
Can social media hype sustain a business? The designer weighs in
Francis Pierre Laborde is marching to the beat of his own drum. The Haitian designer whose viral handbags caused quite a stir at the Grand Bazaar flea market last November (with more than 600 people eyeing his very limited supply) is not succumbing to pressure. “It can be very overwhelming,” he said over a video call. “At the same time, I just want to block out the noise and keep on creating.”
This heightened visibility is new to Laborde, who has spent at least two decades crafting his vision, doing various unfulfilling stints in fashion—one of which included designing custom wedding gowns—before starting his own line. Through trial and error, he honed his signature design codes: compact shapes, lightweight hardware and an unrestrained use of color and prints “Coming from Haiti, color is everything to me. I just want people to feel empowered to wear it.”
Success did not immediately materialize. The early days at the bazaar were hard, with Laborde remembering many instances of going home without having sold a single bag. Still, he kept showing up, offering the kind of human attention and personalized experience his customers still know him for. A decade later, his handbags are in such demand, they’ve been dubbed the new birkins.
On our call, Laborde looked surprisingly relaxed for someone who’d spent the previous months at his Harlem workshop, cutting, painting and stitching leather pieces day and night. Warm, conversational and at times paternal (he gave me a pep talk at the end of the call), he exuded the kind of self-assuredness that comes from an unwavering commitment to the craft. Sure, he’s been relishing the newfound attention but it hasn’t changed his principles.
Today, with a massive following, a popular waitlist and long bazaar lines, Laborde is planning for the future. Ahead of his relaunch, we discussed how he’s navigating his newfound fame.
PSA: The Pierre Laborde website will open TODAY at 12 PM. Set a reminder and come back to shop the new collection here.
This interview happened on February 27, 2026. It’s been slightly edited for clarity.
First of all, how are you? What have the past few months felt like for you?
It can be very overwhelming having all these things coming at you at once. I used to do my own thing in my own corner and all of a sudden…It’s been great because I’m so appreciative and because I’ve been doing this for a long time.
I went to school to become a clothing designer and then I worked in the industry. It’s a tough industry to be in: you work hard and the treatment is not great. I felt like the work didn’t live up to all the time I spent studying—unpacking boxes from China, working 12-hour days, and yet you make no money and there’s no respect. I asked myself, “Is this what I have to do to become a designer?”
I decided I couldn’t do it anymore so I started designing gowns for people. It’s a lot of work and while it’s what I loved doing at the time (it was like couture, meaning I put a lot of time in), I don’t think people understood [all the labor] so it financially wasn’t worth it. With fast fashion now, you have all these places people can go to for a $10 dress. You can even get a wedding dress for $200 or less. I didn’t think this was good for me so I went back to school at FIT for accessory design.
