Louis Vuitton and Rei Kawakubo, founder of Comme des Garçons, have teamed up for a limited edition handbag range. But if you want to get your hands on one of these prized purses, you’ll have to head to Tokyo.
Louis Vuitton has set up shop within the Comme des Garçons store on Kottodori, Omotesando. This is the only place handbag enthusiasts can snare one of six limited edition designs. There will be no phone or internet orders, and no buying in bulk. Shoppers can choose just one of these exclusive designs. Only when the shop closes its doors in the new year will the orders be put into production and then shipped to the customer’s local Louis Vuitton store.
The unique project was inspired when Louis Vuitton’s chairman Yves Carcelle and artistic director Marc Jacobs met with Ms Kawakubo. She told the pair of the excitement Louis Vuitton caused when it came to Japan in 1978. The trio decided to embark on a venture to generate the same buzz.
“It’s creating the sort of feeling that she had. Luxury is the combination of the product and the atmosphere where you buy it,” explained Mr Carcelle. “These bags were referring to the past in a hypermodern setting.“
All six designs use Louis Vuitton’s classic signature print on brown canvas for its links to the past. The Petit Marceau and Sac 2 Poches are adaptations of designs available in Tokyo’s original Louis Vuitton store. The Mini HL and Papillon are similar to the bags of old but with the modern additions of multiple handles and animal charms. The final two purses are entirely new, a symbol of the brand’s commitment to evolution.
Mr Carcelle is unconcerned that the exclusive bags will alienate some of his fans around the globe.
“It’s really for the fashionista who wants to capture that moment. If anyone is really interested, they will go to Japan.”
I suppose they will!
[Source: New York Sun]
[Image Source: Sassy Bella]
