Dua Lipa Trades Airport Essentials for Controversial Tabi Flats and an Overflowing Birkin Bag

Airport essentials are in the eye of the beholder. For Dua Lipa, Maison Margiela's controversial Tabi flats and a packed-to-capacity Birkin bag deserve the first-class treatment.

The star jetted off from her recent string of Australia concerts wearing a leather trench coat and wide-leg jeans—but the classic elements of her travel outfit ended there. First, there were the split-toe Tabi ballet flats peeked out from beneath the hem of her jeans. Dua Lipa's in good company trading Ugg slides or trendy sneakers for Tabis: The hoof-like, ergonomic shoes are beloved by fashion insiders who won't settle for classic black flats (like Zendaya), even if bystanders debate their unusual shape.

From there, Dua Lipa took a page from Rihanna's travel bag playbook and doubled up on designer accessories. In one hand, she carried an Hermès Birkin coated in emotional support animal charms and beads. A miniature Chanel backpack was slung over her opposite shoulder with the mirrored-C logo facing out. (Dua was recently named an ambassador of the house—and the job doesn't stop when she's flying at 37,000 feet.)

Dua Lipa's biggest travel style inspiration might have been the muse for her filled-to-the-brim Birkin. As fashion legend has it, Hermès introduced the style in 1984 after Jane Birkin sat with the then-CEO of the label on a flight—and lamented the lack of stylish, high-quality travel bags on the market.

Decades later, everyone from Jennifer Lopez to Gwyneth Paltrow agrees to earn their sky miles with a Birkin bag on their arm. Dua Lipa, however, is the only one pairing hers with the controversial Tabi flat.