Bkr Tries to Make Drinking Water More Chic

There is nothing Bkr’s water bottle does that others can’t. Yet the reusable glass canteen, sheathed in one of 60 colorful silicone sleeves, has emerged as a hot summer accessory. They’re popular among the same women who buy into sporty style trends—athleisure, as they call it—wearing $300 Lucas Hugh leggings, even when they’re not on the way to a $40 ModelFit class. The Bkr (pronounced “beaker”) works with a pair of Nikes, just as an oversize four-figure handbag once did with Manolo Blahnik heels.

At Neiman Marcus, the bottles ($42 for the liter size; $30 for 500ml) are sold on the beauty floor alongside floral Tom Ford perfumes and thickening mascaras from South Korean cosmetics companies. “Any place where it doesn’t feel like buying a Bkr is a treat isn’t right for us,” says Tal Winter, who co-founded the brand in 2011 with Kate Cutler. “Our girl isn’t getting herself a fabulous thing in the home department. She’s buying 15 lip glosses. She keeps sweaters in her stove.” Sales have increased at least 114 percent every year, due mostly to online retail.