OK, my last post inspired me to write this one- so forgive me as I indulge myself…

So, in 1892 after the death of his father- George Vuitton decided to get serious about the counterfeit problem he was having with the copying of Louis Vuitton trunks.  He’d originally introduced Damier (in 1888 and unveiled at the 1889 Paris Exposition Universelle) for this very purpose.

There are elements of the Louis Vuitton monogram- and quatrefoils (the almost shamrock looking four leaf fleur) in particular, in Gien tiles and elsewhere throughout the Louis Vuitton family home in Asnieres.

(Vuitton Family Residence in Asnieres)

But the quatrefoil pre-dates the late 1890’s.

When I was floating and roaming around Venice, I was literally freaking out at the prevelence of quatrefoils incorporated in the ancient architecture everywhere.  From the Doge’s Palace-

(Doge Palace, Venice)
to random street decorations and wrought iron fencing…

 … and literally everywhere in between.

I buy a Rick Steves’ guide for every trip that we take and I thought this was an interesting little snippet from his Venice book…

I thought it was funny that he says, “The pattern is found on buildings all over Venice, but no where else in the world (except Las Vegas).”  I mean, not true, obviously (I’ve seen this pattern all throughout Europe- from the Notre Dame to the mosaic floor of the Vatican)- but funny.

It’s fascinating that travel is such an important element of Louis Vuitton’s history.  Louis Vuitton will do almost anything, when it comes to custom design of trunks- as long as the function of the piece involves movement- getting something or someone from here to there.  So, it’s interesting to me that at its core- even the inspiration behind the design elements of the Louis Vuitton monogram is so apparent as you travel.

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I wanted to pick one person to profile here… but what the heck.  The Louis Vuitton Monogram Pegase really is the travel bag of choice for our Hollywood neighbors.  We’ve got David Beckham and Posh, Hilary Duff, Cameron Diaz, Jessica Simpson, Catherine McPhee, Paris Hilton, Nicole Simpson, and Rachel Zoe… but honestly, I could have gone on… I just didn’t want to make the pictures any smaller.  Really, they’re all carrying it.

So, why is the Pegase so often the luggage choice for celebrities?

1)  It’s a Rolling Suitcase (need I say more?)

2)  It’s roomy, and structured

3)  The Pegase 50 and smaller can actually be carried on…

3)  It’s Louis Vuitton, baby!

But why the heck pay the full $1900 plus tax retail price at a Louis Vuitton Boutique or on Eluxury?  We’ve got an absolutely guaranteed authentic Monogram Louis Vuitton Pegase 50 on eBay right now with a Buy it now of over $500 less… an a reserve at even less than that.  Check it out!

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McDonald’s uniforms in the UK just got a serious overhaul by designer, Bruce Oldfield. I guess the old poly favorite of Emo’s everywhere was in serious need of updating, and Oldfield was brought in to tackle the job.

There have been whisperings that the patterned shirt looks too similar to the pointed quatrefoil in the traditional Louis Vuitton monogram. Here’s a snippet from a UK Telegraph article on the uniform:

“The pattern bears more than a passing resemblance to the Louis Vuitton logo, but Mr Oldfield insisted it was not deliberate.

‘I wanted to use the golden arches but I was told I couldn’t because of company policy, so I had to have a re-think. I think it looks chic and modern, and the girls look really good.

‘People have mentioned the Louis Vuitton thing but it is not a Louis Vuitton design!’ he said.”

I’ve been dying to post on the history of the quatrefoil… so this is giving me inspiration. Watch for it.

What do you think?

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OK, I know it’s disappointing that Louis Vuitton didn’t come up with any Limited Edition items that were “special” for the Brooklyn Museum Exhibit- but check out what they are releasing for the Louis Vuitton Classic, China Run 2008!

This is an amazing set of limited edition monogram pieces. (You know how I feel about a little color/customization on traditional monogram or damier! LOVE it!) We’ve got the Keepall 55, a fab monogram Naviglio, a Zippy Organizer wallet, some sweet leather driving shoes, and of course a killer pair of retro lunettes! Here’s the logo you’ll find on those items:

Louis Vuitton loved cars. I guess it’s a guy thing. And of course, Louis Vuitton tries to work with any vehicle of transportation. The Louis Vuitton Classic has been around since 1989. There is a pretty cool “flash” presentation on the History of Louis Vuitton and the Classic on their website.

(Louis Vuitton Classic China Run 1998)

The last Louis Vuitton Classic in China was 10 years ago- in 1998. This year, the Classic will run from May 23 until June 1, in China.

Louis Vuitton has negotiated a special First Class travel package. Book your trip here!

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Well, I guess they don’t call him the “Louis Vuitton Don” for nothing. He rocks the heck out of that Louis Vuitton Monogram Montsouris GM backpack…

In fact… it looks like that picture may have inspired Alex Melamid’s depiction of Kanye in his “Holy Hip Hop” exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit.

What makes it even more interesting is that it looks like Melamid has changed it up a bit- and Kanye appears to be sporting a special edition Louis Vuitton Nomade Christopher (I don’t know if Kanye actually has one, so this may just be Melamid’s artistic license at work!)

Anyway, you don’t have to be the Louis Vuitton Don to carry an authentic monogram Louis Vuitton Montsouris GM backpack. We’ve got a pre-owned Montsouris on eBay right now and even the “Buy it Now” price is less than 50% of Louis Vuitton’s retail! The reserve is more like 1/3. Be sure to take a look!

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(Takashi Murakami’s DOB Camouflage 2000)

Who knows what the heck Murakami’s new Monogram Camouflage or Monogramouflage or Monouflage or Monoflage (I’ve seen it spelled all three ways!) is going to look like. The picture above is a Murakami Camo- but his Louis Vuitton collaboration will be a camo line in Monogram- so we’ll just have to see. All we can be sure of right now is that it’s going to be hot!

Here’s what you need to know:

1. The @Murakami Exhibit that I’ve blogged about ad nauseum will open to the public at the Brooklyn Museum on April 5
2. Louis Vuitton will again “open shop” there.
3. There will be multicolor monogram handbags and small leather goods
4. There will be limited edition art canvasses also for sale that feature the new “Monogramouflage” design
5. At the museum, they will be previewing this new Louis Vuitton collection the night of the April 3 Gala
6. Murakami also promised, “I will be introducing new characters”
7. The line will then launch at the Brooklyn store beginning June 1
8. This line will be sold at a select number of Louis Vuitton boutiques worldwide starting June 15
9. At the Gala, in addition to a performance by Kanye West, there will be a special performance in an effort to raise awareness of the international problem of counterfeits…

Very interesting indeed and wouldn’t miss it!

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Does the Louis Vuitton Damier Sophie ring a bell?

Well, it could have something to do with the fact that the folks in Japan are buying more Louis Vuitton than any other country. (Interested? Read an article in Times Magazine about the LV v. Coach battle for marketshare there.) But, I digress…

(Louis Vuitton Japan)

You are feasting your eyes upon an actual living (well, it was living before it was cut, I suppose) white rose, that Louis Vuitton has branded with it’s virtually immortal signature monogram. These roses are currently on sale in celebration of the Japanese “White Day”, on March 14.

(I’m not usually a cut flowers kind of girl. This bouquet however, I’m totally into! How gorgeous is that?)

So what exactly is “White Day” you might ask? (The same question I was asking myself just a short while ago…) Apparently, in Japan- on February 14 (Valentine’s Day), Japanese women give gifts of chocolate to the men that they love. In return, on “White Day” (you can read more about how this name came about on Wiki if you’re interested) men are supposed to return the favor by giving more expensive gifts in response. (I’m loving this tradition. These women are BRILLIANT!!!)

The roses are currently for sale in Japan for 4000 yen a piece or $39 USD. (It looks to me like that Neverfull GM Bouquet above has about 23 roses in it- a cool $897 in roses for all you numbers people!)

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Yeah, I know I already blogged about it- and enough already… but I just like the picture I found in the Boston Globe StylePhile (as an aside, I also love the blog name) much better than the other one I posted earlier.

It has a much more clear view of the glorious monongram Louis Vuitton guitar case/ tea tray.  (Plus it’s just a cooler picture all around!)

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Well, when I read the headline I felt bad that someone would “lase” (basically use a laser to destroy) a perfectly good Louis Vuitton Speedy 30.Upon further inspection, I realized that this was probably for the best- as it looks like Joe Lee picked up this “Louie” in China Town when he was buying the Fireworks!Take a look for yourself:

Compare the monogram placement to an authentic Monogram Louis Vuitton Speedy 30 from our FASHIONPHILE Photophile:

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I was thinking about how Takashi Murakami must have seen the Louis Vuitton Neverfull as a canvas that just needed to be painted! It’s a great frame for those distinctive Hands!

Nicky Hilton looks fantastic with hers. I love how it complements her jacket- and really brings the outfit together.

For those of you who haven’t been able to attend the Murakami Exhibit at LA’s MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art)… this bag’s for you! As you know, they have been sold out in the GM size- and the exhibit is closing in a little over a week.

If you’re loving Nicky’s look- we’ve got an authentic Louis Vuitton Murakami Neverfull GM on eBay right now.  Free shipping for my blog readers on this one! Just enter coupon code: 22blog

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