There are tomatoes for salads, tomatoes for pasta sauce, and apparently, tomatoes that require their own tax bracket.
Heart Evangelista brought the produce aisle into luxury territory during New York Fashion Week with a Judith Leiber tomato clutch worth £5,130. Covered in thousands of rhinestones and sculpted into the shape of an heirloom tomato, the tiny accessory might be one of the few vegetables capable of breaking the bank.
But when PurseBlog asked the Filipino fashion icon what exactly she keeps inside a tomato worth a month's rent, her answer was less extravagant. In fact, it was surprisingly down-to-earth when compared to the lavishness of this salad ingredient.
'Self-love. Patience. Concealer Tarte. And candy,' Evangelista replied.
'All you need!' the interviewer declared.
'All you need!' Evangelista agreed with a laugh.
Frankly, that sounds less like a handbag inventory and more like the official survival kit for the most stylish month of the year. No visible eye bags and sweets, because sitting front row while nodding at high fashion works up an appetite.
Meet One of the World's Most Expensive Veggies
Evangelista's tiny piece of wearable produce is a Judith Leiber tomato clutch, currently listed by Harrods for £5,130.
The red sculptural bag is covered in thousands of meticulously hand-set rhinestones. With shimmer peppering even its stem, this is either a charmingly realistic finishing touch or definitive proof that someone at Judith Leiber once looked at the vegetable drawer and saw couture.
Inside is a champagne-toned lining, while a delicate chain transforms the tomato from handheld clutch into a shoulder bag. In other words, this particular tomato is more versatile than some actual wardrobes.
Of course, practicality might not be its strongest selling point. One Facebook commenter had a more pressing concern: 'Where to put the phone.'
Perhaps between the self-love and patience, right under the candy.
On another note, yes, tomatoes are technically fruits misidentified as vegetables.
Facebook Thinks It Has Seen This Tomato Before
A £5,130 crystal clutch might sound like the sort of accessory nobody could possibly mistake for anything else, but the commentary on Facebook accepted that challenge immediately. Some people were obviously ready to roast this tomato.
'It's giving pin cushion vibe hahaha,' one commenter wrote.
'Reminds me of a Tomato Pin Cushion,' another agreed.
Then came 'Pins and needles,' followed by another person who simply declared: 'Pin cushion 😭.'
Evidently, generations of sewing kits have done irreversible things to the public perception of tomato-shaped objects.
One commenter even reminisced, 'WE HAD that before.... Pin cushion,' while another called Evangelista's bag 'Super cute' before conceding that it was, indeed, 'giving pin 📌 cushion.'
At this point, the resemblance has been democratically established.
To be fair, the internet has a point. Add several sewing needles and the £5,130 fashion statement could probably spend its weekends moonlighting beside someone's sewing machine.
From Pincushion to Fashion Statement
The jokes do not make the bag any less impressive. Judith Leiber has made an art form out of transforming unexpected objects into crystal-covered luxury accessories. Evangelista's tomato is basically what happens when produce gets whimsy-maxxed.
Even among the pincushion comparisons, commenters called the accessory 'cutie' and 'Super cute,' while another recognised exactly what Evangelista was carrying and pointed out its luxury pedigree.
Perhaps that is precisely why the tomato works. It is unapologetically silly and seriously luxurious at the same time. Fashion does not always need to whisper good taste from the corner of the room. Sometimes it can arrive covered in red rhinestones, looking suspiciously prepared to become pasta sauce or ketchup.
For all those crystals and that £5,130 price tag, Evangelista's answer about what she carries inside offered an unexpectedly sweet reminder of what actually matters.
Self-love and patience are free. The Tarte concealer and candy, admittedly, will cost extra.
