The Luxury of Louis Vuitton by Charlotte Hoyle

Riding on the backlash of the 80’s and the Golden Age of credit we are living in a time when people are turning to small luxuries to get them through the recession. For some it is a glass or bottle of wine after work, for others’ an expensive haircut and box of favorite chocolates at the weekend, for me it’s two simple words Louis Vuitton. Just thinking of the traditional gold and brown green hue monogram canvas print builds excitement, something nothing else compares to. It is pure decadence, which is why I am excited about the new Louis Vuitton Speedy exhibition being held at Selfridges concept store, on the ground floor.

The contrast of the cream leather handles with red stitching, the brass adornments and mottled cowhide leather, the smell, feel and look of a Louis Vuitton bag (whether it’s the Speedy a style favoured by Audrey Hepburn and the star of the exhibition or the Neverfull), for me creates a luxurious feeling of comfort. This is not a shallow or recent pursuit, since first locking my eyes on a Louis Vuitton aged 13 (it was a style similar to the current Eva clutch) I knew that what I had seen was the crème de la crème of the bag world. It is argued that the first vice a women experiences in her life is either for bags or shoes, my vice is most defiantly bags. My first memory of ‘lusting’ after a bag was when my mother bought me a primary coloured travel case. I was about six years old but the feeling of excitement and comfort when I held the acrylic polyester lined holdall was overwhelming. However since discovering the world of Louis Vuitton I cannot say that any bag is the equivalent. Don’t get me wrong, the feeling is not exclusive to the cost or brand of bag as high street and vintage pieces both invoke the feeling. Nevertheless, when I see a new Vuitton a glassy eyed focus pushes me towards owning said bag, which has resulted in many an hour sat at my Mac scrolling through the LV brands site. If only I was that focused when it came to more important elements of my life, but it seems that dedication is exclusively retained for arm accessories of the Parisian kind.

Thankfully, I know I’m not alone, one only have to watch a single episode of Sex and the City and hear Carrie utter ‘Manolo Blahnik’ to understand her absolutely adoration of MB shoes. Something that I can identify with but don’t feel, my shoes are a mixture of reasonably priced practical and trend flats and platform heels that don’t kill my feet at the end of the night. However, spending a couple of hundred pounds on a bag, even during these times, is a worthy investment and is not an extravagance in my book. Many a vintage Vuitton is sold on for its original price and the bags are of such high quality if cared for, they can be kept for generations. Quality is important and in my opinion a beautiful bag, even if its your only bag, can make up for not so beautiful outfit. Bags are such a status symbol they reflect your tastes on colour, fabric and style to the whole world. They show whether you are a lover of classic lines and clean leather, boho styles with beading and ethic connotation, trashy metallic over adornment or on trend designer pieces. Accessories are a unique expression of personal taste.

Think more about what your bag says about you, with the choice of the classic Damier canvas or the yearly limited collections that Marc Jacobs always makes playful, Louis Vuitton has something to offer everyone. Currently, there are five brightly coloured or illustrated themes such as the Multicolore collection, which was created with the collaboration of Japanese illustrator Takashi Murakami, and the Stephan Sprouse collection, which features Sprouse’s signature neon graffiti style in the form of roses and ‘Louis Vuitton’ stamped across the classic monogram. As well as the classic lines such as Mahina and Suhali Leather, Louis Vuitton pieces are unique in a way that they retain a sense of history and luxury, many designs are modeled on the patterns of the original LV bags of the 19th century. To hold the same style of handbag a lady of the mid 1800’s would have held and equally loved is very special indeed. Even if you cannot afford that coveted Sprouse Speedy, you can afford to pop into Selfridges and immerse yourself in the luxury that is Louis Vuitton.

The Louis Vuitton Speedy exhibition is being shown at the concept store in Selfridges ground floor throughout June. For information please visit www.selfridges.com