From the moment of his tenure with Louis Vuitton in 2013, creative director Nicolas Ghesquiere had made the Petite Malle – his unique and novel interpretation of the house’s iconic wooden trunk, which has a storied history dating back to 1858 — his magnum opus; or piece de resistance, as they call it.
Despite its hefty price tag, the Petite Malle, which retails from US$5,500 (S$7,475), has been touted as a must-have among fashion fiends, who likened it to owning a piece of art and history. Measuring 19.1 x 13 x 4.8cm, each Petite Malle bag is made by hand by a team of 30 artisans, applying the same technique used to construct the house’s wooden trunk.
To celebrate the bicentennial of Louis Vuitton’s birth, Louis Vuitton is collaborating with 200 talents and visionaries to personalise its emblematic trunks. At 50 x 50 x 100cm each, they feature the approximate dimension of the house’s original trunk.
What’s more, its list of collaborators includes marquee names like Korean superstars BTS and highly coveted American streetwear brand Supreme, literary and architecture bigwigs like journalist and activist Gloria Steinem, as well as architect Frank Gehry.