S’pore teen, 17, shamed over Charles & Keith luxury bag is now modelling for brand

Zoe Gabriel is one of the faces of Charles & Keith's International Women's Day.

Fiona Tan | March 04, 2023, 06:10 PM

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In January 2023, a 17-year-old teenage girl was publicly shamed for considering Charles & Keith as a luxury brand.

In what seems like a fairytale ending, the teenage girl is now one of the models in the brand's campaign.

The girl

Those online may know Zoe Gabriel, or more commonly known as @zohtaco on TikTok, as the girl who drew internet fame after she posted a video of her on the social media platform unboxing "her first luxury bag" that her father bought for her from Charles & Keith.

Image from @zohtaco/TikTok.

Naysayers were quick to call out Zoe, saying that Charles & Keith was not a luxury brand, but the internet soon came to her defence after she shared that her family did not have much when she was growing up.

After catching wind of Zoe's story, the brand reached out to her, inviting her to their headquarters to have lunch with the founders.

She also became the proud owner of several more Charles & Keith bags.

Face of Charles & Keith International Women's Day

The teenage girl most recently became one of the faces of Charles & Keith's 2023 International Women's Day.

On Mar. 4, 2023, Zoe shared a photo of herself on Instagram, posing with Charles & Keith's Alia Chain-Strap Crossbody Bag — one of the brand's best-selling bags — in purple.

Image from @zoeaaleah/Instagram.

Purple, as well as green and white, are the colours of International Women's Day, which falls on Mar. 8.

To mark the occasion, the teenage content creator and Charles & Keith brand community ambassador also penned a handwritten note:

"Women are like flowers: Our time and needs to grow may not always align, but that is okay.

We are like fields of poppy and lakes of lotus — diverse and bold in our differences, beautiful in our own ways.

This International Women’s Day, let us celebrate with compassion. Let us celebrate with equality through equity, the way flowers do."

How Zoe's story began

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Top image from @zohtaco/TikTok and @zoeaaleah/Instagram.