Louis Vuitton

One of the deciding factors when I purchase a new handbag is whether or not the bag is functional. If I can’t fit all my ‘stuff’ (which sometimes can include the kitchen sink) in it, then what is the point of paying upwards of $1000 for the bag? I am also not a huge fan of letting the weather dictate which bag I can carry that day. I just want to grab a bag, sling it on my shoulder, and run out the door! Thus, the Louis Vuitton Damier line has always appealed to me. These bags can take a beating and never show it! I have seen bags that are 10 years old and look like brand new. The problem with this line is that the bag has never been just right. The bags have always been a little too fancy and grown-up for my taste (e.g. Duomo) or a bit too casual (e.g. Saleya).

Louis Vuitton has finally got it right with the new Louis Vuitton Damier Trevi. This bag, just released earlier this month, is certainly functional. It can be a shoulder bag, or the strap can be removed and carried by hand. The zippered top provides security from prying hands. The pleat adds volume and a funky edge to keep it youthful, but not too casual. In additional to all these wonderful attributes the bag also comes in two sizes. The GM (16 x 12 x is big enough to carry around the kitchen sink, while the PM (13 x 9 x6) is just big enough to fit all the essentials without being overloaded. And of course the price…at only $1725 for the GM and $1425 for the PM it is not too overwhelming! At least my bank account didn’t shudder in disbelief for once!

Contact 1-866-VUITTON for more details or shop at eLuxury’s official Louis Vuitton boutique.

The Louis Vuitton Suhali line costs a pretty penny but appeals to the crowd that loves Louis Vuitton and is not keen on logos. While goat leather is heavy, the simple style of the Louis Vuitton Suhali Lockit PM catches the eye. Smooth leather trim with contrast topstitching are perfect alongside golden brass hardware. For those who do not want to carry a heavier handbag, this may not be for you. Because the only option for carrying the bag is with the rolled leather handles, your arm may get tired easily. But it doesn’t mean that this bag is not gorgeous to admire. I would hope for a more luxurious lining, when the price is so high, but this handbag is merely lined with monogrammed textile lining. While I am not willing to shell out my credit card for this handbag, I do love it. Dimensions are 11.8″x 9.8″x 5.2″.

Buy through eLuxury’s exclusive Louis Vuitton boutique for $2320.

All luxury handbag designers are busy trying to lure in new customers, and keep their established customers spending more and more. Louis Vuitton does an exceptional job every season keeping its customers satisfied. Every season we are bombarded with a copious amount of new handbags and accessories to buy, and more often than not the name of the handbag is followed by the words limited edition. These two words spell trouble for bank accounts around the globe as women scramble to be first on the waitlist. Limited edition is often equated with exclusivity and we will gladly pay over $2000 for a canvas bag because only 5000 were produced!

Recently, I have pondered what limited edition really means. Louis Vuitton has recently re-released several limited edition items and has subsequently caused me to really think about my purchases. For example, the Millionaires sunglasses were recently re-released this past summer. Great news for those who missed out the first time, but for those who were lucky to obtain the first time around how do you now feel? Personally, I would feel slighted and angry that the company was dishonest with me! As another example, the Monogram Olympe Nimbus was released for the Spring/Summer 2007 season in two colors. Originally offered as a limited edition item, it has now been re-released for Fall/Winter 2007 in two new colors and a new size!! The Monogram Miroir was re-released in the Lockit style. And the heart coin purse, which sold out in weeks, is also being re-released this upcoming winter!!!

All of this does make me really think about the purchases I will make. Do I buy a bag solely because it is limited edition, or because I love the bag? Do I buy the bag to use it, or to collect it and possibly resell it in the future? If bags and accessories are being re-released it causes the resale value to decline, and of course the exclusivity associated with the brand also starts to decline?

How would you feel if this happened to you?

Call 1-866-VUITTON for information about upcoming limited edition releases.

Monogram Olympe Nimbus Fall/Winter 2007 Re-Release in Perle & Anthracite
PM: $1950
GM: $2550

Feast your eyes fashionable girls and boys, for this is the last Scarlett ad you will see from me! Yes, my fall preview series has come to a sad conclusion and I have oh-so-thoughtfully saved the best, or maybe the worst, for last. This wonderful bag, which slightly resembles some furry beast or at the very least an Ugg boot, is the new Louis Vuitton Monogram Shearling. Right from the get-go this bag just holds no appeal to me with the shiny, slightly plastic looking, monogram material and the fur sticking out everywhere. Great bag for the abominable snowman to look fashionable in, but maybe not so much for the fashionable New York gal! To add insult to injury, the bags carry quite the hefty price tag for some plastic coated shearling wool with vernis handles! My verdict: a big thumbs down!

Waitlists are now open (possibly even empty), call 1-866-VUITTON for more details. Click below for more detailed shots:
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Believe it or not, one of the ultra-exclusive Louis Vuitton Tribute Patchwork Bags is making its way into the nation’s capital. A super elite LV customer has ordered the $52,500 which is set to appear later this season. Ylan Q. Mui of the Washington Post interviewed me for her article, Exclusive Status: It’s in The Bag. Read the article below, and thanks again to Ylan!

Forget your Coach purse. Put away your Kate Spade. Even Hermes’s famous Birkin bag seems positively discount.

The Louis Vuitton Tribute Patchwork is this summer’s ultimate status bag, ringing in at $52,500. And it is arriving in Washington by the end of the season, ordered by a woman whose circumstances and identity the company has ever so politely (again and again) declined to disclose.

…

Some fashion followers, however, feel that history should not be sliced, diced and rearranged into one purse.

“Limited-edition handbags give us purse fanatics something to drool over, to lust after, to want,” said Meaghan Mahoney of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., who writes the Purse Blog. “But there comes a time when no matter how limited something is, no matter how much fuss goes behind it . . . the product just plain old sucks.”

Still, Mahoney said she would relish the opportunity to see the Tribute Patchwork with her own eyes.

“At least that way, those who are lucky enough to see the handbag in person will gain instant bragging rights,” she said. “After all, the bag is not much more than bragging material by itself.”

Read the entire article at Washington Post.

Welcome back to another edition of Tuesdays with Twiggers!

My eyes spy a subtle metallic hint in the handbag Scarlett is sporting this week. And of course, what fashionable girl’s fall wardrobe would be complete without metallics? I’ve been searching for the perfect fall handbag for weeks, and the color on the new Louis Vuitton Limelight Clutch is gorgeous, but the bag itself it not calling out to me. From the description, this bag has it all: choice of two colors (perle or copper), quilted monogram logo on laminated fleecy wool, satin luster, snap closure, hidden zip pocket, and the Louis Vuitton inventeur plaque. So far so good, but then I see the words unstructured and foldable, and all of a sudden my wallet closes! Maybe it is just me, but this fall season I am seeing a lot of structure and sleek silhouettes in ad campaigns, and this floppy handbag doesn’t fit into the fall image I’ve seen. Therefore, my bank account can breathe a sigh of relief at not having to dish out $1275! And the search for that perfect fall handbag continues.

The Louis Vuitton Limelight Clutch releases in September and wait lists are now open. Call 1-866-VUITTON

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Welcome back to another installment of Tuesdays with Twiggers!

My obsession with the Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2007 ad campaign continues. It is really one of the best ad campaigns I have seen so far this season, and Scarlett is my girl crush - so that helps too! This week, the breathtaking Scarlett is seen holding the new Louis Vuitton Monogram Motard Alligator Biker. This edgy new line is straight from the runway and features soft lambskin leather quilted with the Louis Vuitton monogram. The leather is varnished to give a glossy effect, while the chunky hardware gives off a not-so-subtle biker-chick vibe! There are several new bags being released in this line, available in October, with different colors and trims. Please see pictures below for selection and prices! I must say, the selection available this season is making my head spin and my wallet cry out in disbelief! I think this could be one of the hottest fall bags, but with high prices the demand may not be there. Stay tuned next week for a glimpse of yet another hot Fall/Winter release!

Call now to be placed on the waitlist: 1-866-VUITTON. Click below to see more bags and prices!

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If you are a true accessory lover, you can always accessorize an accessory. I love the idea of a charm hanging from my bag. Of course, I meticulously pick and choose which bag can be accessorized without looking silly. No need to go over the top and take the focus off of the bag. Louis Vuitton offers amazing charms at amazing prices. By amazing, I mean ridiculously expensive. At first glance, both the Louis Vuitton Heart Locket Monogram Charm and the Louis Vuitton Round Flower Charm are eye catching and effuse a feeling of femininity. The Heart Locket Charm is designed with white gold and shows off a bow on top of the stunning LV engraved locket. The Round Flower Charm is also made with white gold but features four pink tourmaline crystals. Both could be used to accent one of your favorite bags and both cost more than many bags. The locket is $1380 while the flower is $1650. Gorgeous just not that gorgeous. Buy via eLuxury’s Louis Vuitton boutique.

For those who appreciate meticulously crafted leather in an elegant timeless bag, the Louis Vuitton Suhali line is perfect. My mother and sister, aka Anti-logo-family-members, have always been drawn to this line. The sturdy and stunning Suhali goat leather offers divine structure. The Louis Vuitton Suhali Le Confident is a smaller handbag that packs a big punch. The contrast top stitching and golden brass hardware showcase the supple leather. Rivet detailing adds a special touch along with an exterior pocket with an S-lock closure. Not an everyday bag, but a very cute handbag if you are in the market for a small shoulder bag. Dimensions are 10.6″x 7″x 5.9″. Buy via eLuxury’s Louis Vuitton boutique for $2250.

And if you are in Florida, go to the fabulous Bal Harbour LV shop! I can’t wait to be back there!

Welcome to another installment of Tuesdays with Twiggers!!

Confession time! I have a girl crush on Scarlett Johannsen. I know some of you might not agree, but just look at that ad! The flowing blond hair, the gorgeous color palette… GOTCHA… this isn’t a celebrity blog, this is a Purse Blog, right? Well move your eyes down a little and check out that bag! My heart stopped a beat when I first saw it on the runway months ago, and now that the print campaign is here my bank account’s heart has also stopped.

The new Louis Vuitton Monogram Mirage line has done the impossible by turning the boring monogram canvas into a true work of art. Notice that the LV monogram pattern gradually fades the closer it gets to the top of the bag. This is a process in photography know as degrade. There are also a couple new styles of bags being released in this line, most notably the Griet, which is shown in the ad above.

Now is the time to break the bad news to you. Like everything else in the Louis Vuitton world, these bags are coming to a store near you with a hefty price tag! OK….they are gorgeous bags, and yes they are limited edition bags…but I am still sticker-shocked by a price of (I’d advise you to sit down) $8,850 for an alligator trimmed canvas (say it with me people) yes canvas bag! But no fear, the average everyday person can snap up the Speedy 30 for a mere $1,800. Remember, these prices are subject to change (i.e. increase) before release. Sorry Louis Vuitton, I’m out! What do you think? Worth it or not?

Release Date: September 15th, 2007
Call 1-866-VUITTON to be placed on waitlist today.

All non-exotic trim bags released in your choice of black or bordeaux trim. An overview of a few Mirage bags below:
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