I was mocked for my $60 bag — now I’m a model for the brand
Her modeling career is in the bag.
Zoe Gabriel, 17, went viral with over 22.7 million views and 2.3 million likes back in January when she shared a video of herself enjoying a gift from her father — a Charles & Keith bag. The purse from the Singaporean company, which she calls her “first luxury bag,” cost $60 which is equivalent to $80 Singapore dollars.
Gabriel was quickly trolled in the comments section for calling the item “luxury” on TikTok and she tearfully explained in a follow-up video that to her the bag is a luxury because her family didn’t have much money growing up.
“Who’s gonna tell her,” one hater commented along with a crying laughing emoji.
“Growing up, I did not have a lot. My family didn’t have a lot,” she said in response to the troll’s comment. “We couldn’t buy things as simple as bread.”
“Your comment spoke volumes on how ignorant you seem because of your wealth,” she lamented.
“To you, an $80 bag may not be a luxury. For me and my family, it is a lot, and I’m so grateful that my dad was able to get me one. He worked so hard for that money,” Gabriel continued in her video, which has 7.7 million views and over half a million likes.
Two months after posting the video, Garbiel turned her pain into brand partnerships and is now a model and a community ambassador for the company.
The label posted an Instagram photo on March 4 showing the content creator rocking black boots, a gray sweater dress and a lavender purse in a photoshoot.
Gabriel was also invited to lunch with the company’s founders, Charles and Keith Wong, and toured the company’s offices.
The founders even supplied her with vouchers and other bags from the brand.
“It was so fun, everybody was so nice and accommodating,” she wrote on social media at the time, alongside a cute snap of herself and her father visiting the brand headquarters.
“Thank you to everybody who has shown their support!!! 🙂 without you, we would never be here <3,” she ended her sweet note.
The modeling gig isn’t the only opportunity the fashion influencer bagged. She also has been spotted in several AirAsia promo clips on TikTok.
Gabriel donned the Malaysian budget airline’s bright red uniform and was seen rocking out to PinkPantheress and Ice Spice’s “Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2” in a video posted on March 18.
In another clip, she taste-tested an array of hot meals while on a flight to Kuala Lumpur.
The label told The Post at the time that their founders “believe that our products should spark joy, empower fashion lovers and give them confidence.”
“Charles & Keith are also heartened to see so many, including some fans of the brand, come out in support with encouraging words for Zoe,” they continued. “A community that shows kindness and compassion is exactly what the world needs today and what the brand stands for.”
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