Popular Louis Vuitton Styles and the History of How They Came to be...
The Keepall Bandouliere 55 in Monogram print
The Keepall is a most renowned travel bag. It's a unisex piece, and usually the bags comes with a luggage tag and Poignet, which is a cuff to hold the handles together. The Keepall can come with detachable shoulder straps, and these styles are called Keepall Bandouliere.
The Alma bag was created by Gaston-Louis Vuitton in the 1930s. It's believed that it was originally made for Coco Chanel as a custom order – apparently the only other designer bag she would carry other than her own. Originally, the bag was named ‘Champs of Elysees’ after the famous road in Paris. It was renamed Alma after 'Pont de l'Alma' – a bridge that connected two Parisian neighbourhoods.
The Noé bag was introduced in 1932 when a champagne house contacted Louis Vuitton to commission a bag that would hold 5 bottles of champagne. The bag still serves this function - 4 bottles with the bottom down and the 5th inverted and nestled between the others. This drawstring bag comes in two sizes - the Noé, and the smaller Petit Noé. The name 'Noé' is French for 'Noah', who was not only famous for loading animals on the Arc, two by two, but for his ability to consume wine.
In 1965, film star Audrey Hepburn made a special request to Louis Vuitton to make a mini version of their Keepall bag just for her. Louis Vuitton obliged Audrey’s request and created what is known by handbag lovers as the 'Speedy 25'. The Speedy is now available in sizes 25, 30, 35, and 40, as well as a Bandouliere style that includes a strap.
The Louis Vuitton Papillon in red Epi leather
The Papillon was launched in 1966, and was designed by Enri Racamier – the husband of Louis Vuitton’s great granddaughter. 'Papillon' means butterfly in French, and the design of the bag is said to be inspired by this little creature. The shape of the bag is cylindrical, representing the body of a butterfly, while the handles look like wings.
The Louis Vuitton Neverfull GM in Monogram print
The Neverfull was introduced in 2007. It takes up to 45 hours to create a single bag! The Neverfull has become one of Louis Vuitton’s all-time most successful styles. It comes in 3 sizes: PM (small), MM (medium), and GM (large). The laces on the sides can be tightened to create a more compact, city chic bag. The GM model shown here is the biggest model of the Neverfull collection – it is said it can carry up to 9kg!
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