It is difficult to believe that Hogwarts never existed until 30 years ago. The imaginary witchcraft academy located in the Scottish highlands has compelled many of us to unleash our inner wizard powers. While reading Harry Potter, we would constantly imagine ourselves in a wizard’s shoes. We’d even think about teaming up with our companions while winning the Battle of Hogwarts.
Unfortunately, this moment has ended abruptly for many of us last month.
On June 6, 2020, J.K. Rowling, the mastermind behind the creation of Hogwarts and Harry Potter, faced backlash after tweeting and writing about her opinions on LGBTQ people. It all started with a personal essay on her blog about the dangers of transgender activists to women in the future.
Additionally, she also tweeted her thoughts on transgender relationships.
Many of her audience were appalled by what they saw and perceived Rowling’s statement to be transphobic.
However, in order to defend herself, Rowling went on a long Twitter rant and continuously stated that her comments weren’t built on apathy. Regardless of her efforts, Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliff criticized her behaviour.
Even if a feud may be transpiring, the unfortunate events didn’t stop designer brand Vera Bradley from releasing a new Harry Potter-inspired bag collection. With some help from Warner Bros, a number of backpacks, handbags, travel accessories and loungewear were launched recently. Due to the increasing demand and popularity, some items including a graphic backpack, travel duffel, tote bag, and blanket are already sold out.
In order to appeal to a larger market, the collection has a wide variety of items for every Harry Potter fan. Those who want to showcase their house system experience at Hogwarts can purchase designs inspired by Slytherin, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw houses. Additionally, designers compiled a number of symbols from the film to create a “Home to Hogwarts” pattern. However, Vera Bradley is now facing another problem.
Although the Harry Potter release has been a highlight for Vera Bradley and Warner Bros, the company is trying their best to distance themselves from J.K. Rowling. During interviews, the executive team reiterated that the collection is solely a collaboration with Warner Bros, not J.K. Rowling herself. When asking about Rowling’s Twitter feud and her controversial opinions, the company hesitated to comment about the events.
The collaboration did receive a lot of positive feedback on the product releases, but some people weren’t so happy:
Due to the amount of highly differing opinions, it is difficult to say whether buying a Harry Potter product from the brand is worth it or not. However, as the conflict with J.K. Rowling continues, many consumers refuse to purchase Harry Potter items. Even if Vera Bradley’s Harry Potter collection has nothing to do with J.K. Rowling, consumers can still misinterpret the collaboration. Clearly, companies must be cautious when timing their new product releases.
In your opinion, do you think the Harry Potter collection by Vera Bradley is worth your money? Let us know what you think in the comments!
Featured Photo via Vera Bradley
