A Singapore-based Pinay teen who was shamed online for calling the Charles & Keith bag given by her father a “luxury” item, was invited to have lunch with no less than the founders of the fashion company.
Zoe, who goes by the username @zohtaco on TikTok, recently went viral after she shared a video of her happily flexing her “first luxury bag” — a Charles and Keith tote bag that was a gift from her dad.
“Thank you dad,” the 17-year-old simply captioned her video which has garnered more than 6 million views as of writing.
The video, however, received unnecessary comments from some netizens who mocked the teen for considering the item as a “luxury” one.
“Who’s gonna tell her? (laughing with tears emoji)”, read a now-deleted comment by a basher.
To which Zoe responded with a video of herself getting emotional as she shared how much the bag means to her as she’s not from a well-off family.
“Your comment spoke volumes on how ignorant you seem because of your wealth.To you, an 80$ bag may not be a luxury but for me and my family it is a lot,” said Zoe.
“I’m so grateful that my dad was able to get me one. He worked so hard for that money. I can’t believe I got hate over a bag that I was so excited to have,” she added in tears.
Amid the negative comments, Zoe also got overwhelming messages of love and support from the online platform, even Charles & Keith was spotted leaving a note under her post.
In fact, Marketing-Interactive also reported that the Singaporean fashion brand has reached out to Zoe and invited the teen and her dad to a lunch with its founders and a tour at the company’s headquarters.
“Our heart really went out to Zoe when we saw the videos and comments – there is no place for bullying, be it online or offline – but we were so impressed with the grace and humility in how she handled the situation, displaying wisdom far beyond her years and values that resonated with us greatly,” a spokesperson from Charles & Keith was quoted as saying in the publication.
“Her parents deserve much credit and must be proud to have raised such a grounded, resilient young woman,” it added.
In a video thanking netizens for their kind words and support, Zoe left a reminder to naysayers online:
“Everyone’s life experiences and financial circumstances will be different from yours. Remember that what is cheap for you may be everything to another.
Based on one of her TikTok videos, Zoe said she was born in Manila but “I’ve lived in Singapore all my life”. She’s the eldest of four siblings.
