Ever since Louis Vuitton graced us with Nicolas Ghesquière as creative director in 2013, we have been witness to a resurgence in its Monogram line – with a twist! So while classic styles like the Speedy, Neverfull and Keepall continue to reign supreme (pun intended!), there’s a formidable demand for many of its less ubiquitous bags too. The Popincourt (this reminds me of Mary Poppins) or the Artsy, which boasts the likes of Angelina Jolie in its fan-base, come to mind, and what I seriously love about these particular designs is the house’s juxtaposition of various colorful leather trims with iconic monogram, creating an instantly distinct look.
One of the earliest creations by Ghesquière for Louis Vuitton was the Montaigne, a sleek but spacious carryall that’s got its own PurseForum thread spanning the course of seven years and 242 pages! So what is it that makes this purse paradoxically both under-the-radar and yet so popular?
Situated in the heart of Paris’ Golden Triangle and home to some of the most distinguished names of high fashion, Avenue Montaigne is dubbed the home of Haute Couture. In fact, Dior also recently paid homage to this extremely fashionable square with the creation of its Montaigne 30 bag, but Louis Vuitton’s tribute was launched much earlier (in handbag years!) back in 2014. The Montaigne Club started almost exactly at the same time, and it is still going strong.
Featuring a central zipped compartment with a padlock and two large open ones, the Montaigne comes in three different sizes- the BB, the MM and the GM, ensuring that there is a Montaigne for everyone. You can carry it in three different ways too – as a top-handle, in the crook of the arm or as a shoulder bag. As for the BB, a crossbody option is available too thanks to its extra long detachable strap, which ensures maximum versatility. And when it comes to colors and materials, Ghesquière has truly gone wild with the Montaigne – you can opt to get the iconic Monogram Canvas or the Empreinte leather that’s available in 5 different hues! In fact, Louis Vuitton introduced a Monogram Vernis edition as well that was the perfect dressy day bag and came in seven different colors! You can still hunt them down on resale sites. Currently, the Louis Vuitton website has a special bicolor Empreinte edition in giant monogram as well in both the MM and BB sizes – get them now, I have a feeling they’re going to sell out quick!
So as you guys can see, the Montaigne comes in so many different shades, materials and sizes so there is truly no reason why you shouldn’t get one. However, why is it still one of those designs that as Amanda (we miss you!) said, capital-F fashion people sort of ignore? Given just how roomy the bag is, which is masked by its elegant, structured design, I believe this purse truly deserves more attention. Whether you schlep all your belongings in the GM to work, or sling the BB to a girl’s night out, there’s a perfect Montaigne for everyone.
In fact, to the delight of the members of the Montaigne Club, we have actually seen a few famous faces with the bag: author, yoga instructor and wife to Alec Baldwin, Hilaria Baldwin, has the Vernis MM, while beauty blogger Alexandrea Garza and actress Holly Madison have a shared love for the Empreinte MM in noir.
Not only that, I see the Montaigne as the perfect gateway into the world of high-fashion, the most suitable bag to choose as your first luxury purchase. Not only do you see Speedys and Neverfulls everywhere, making the Montaigne a nice way to stand a little apart from the crowd, but also because it’s a highly functional, stylish piece that you can use daily for years to come. Not to mention, you can still get a great return on the resale market if you fall out of love with the bag (retaining roughly 80% average resell value!). Who wouldn’t like the sweet taste of enjoying a bag and getting a great deal back on a sale, right?
No wonder it’s so popular with everyday purse lovers, if not with Hollywood’s A-listers. And when it comes to Louis Vuitton, special editions are always a must! The Montaigne is also available in a special, braided leather handle version if the Vachetta isn’t really your style, and you can surely track down some pieces from the Masters LV x Koons collection (the Mona Lisa version was the quirkiest!). I’m eager to see further collaborations involving the Montaigne.
2021 is a promising new year in that at last we see the light at the end of the tunnel, but is that end near? That’s hard to tell, and as cases continue to rise, visiting the Parisian thoroughfare of Avenue Montaigne may be a distant dream for so many of us. However that shouldn’t stop us from treating ourselves to our first, or second, or third (let’s not kid ourselves, we can never have enough LVs) purse from the holy grail of handbag brands. For so many of us, buying a Louis Vuitton is a landmark moment, a sign that “I’ve made it!” and the Montaigne, with its strength, functionality and sophistication, represents just that.
I am soooo over LV monogram. It’s everywhere and does not feel special at all. I do like the Empriente though.
It’s true that everyone wants to own a bit of Vuitton’s rich history and the Montaigne doesn’t come in Damier either. However, the Empreinte Raisin is gorgeous!
I think everyone wants to own the print that says, “Look, I have a designer bag” but I admire your wonderful spin and diplomacy. Well done! ?
Gee thank you so much! You made my day! (Actually it’s nearly midnight here so I guess you made my tomorrow!)
I…like this bag! Surprisingly!
Yay for surprises! And bags! And Louis Vuitton!!
I like this bag a lot and almost bought the GM model a few years ago. However, much as I like the MM, why is it available in only two colors in Empreinte? (looking at the France site — just black and that blue/red combo) It used to be available in a much wider range of colors, including the luscious Raisin mentioned below and also a taupe perfect for summer use. As for the monogram version, it is a little much — I’m not crazy about bags that are monogram only, but I do like a mix of monogram and leather, as with my V Tote MM in bordeaux leather (black handles and strap) with monogram accent panels. I’m also not fond of the light-color vachetta — wish they would bring back the darker, more caramel colored version. A DE version would be terrific — I’d pick that in a minute over the giant logo version (Monogram Empreinte Bi-Colore).
I can totally relate to your frustration because, as mentioned below, I find the Raisin Empreinte simply gorgeous and am hoping for a DE, however the EU website is showing 4 different shades of beige/ivory and they’re possibly not in stock currently – the Beige Rose is especially pretty. Of course you could always opt for Raisin on the pre-owned market!
The colors shown are optimistic and quite possibly fictitious. I checked the sites for seven different European countries. Those colors for the MM size were either not even shown or were out of stock. I also checked the main EU site: https://eu.louisvuitton.com/eng-e1/products/montaigne-mm-monogram-empreinte-007993 The colors they show and the colors you can actually get are very different. Even checking around various non-European sites (Singapore, Australia, UAE), the availability is very low and limited to essentially two or three colors, with at least one of those, and usually more, out of stock. I wish LV would be more upfront about what actually is or will be available instead of making potential buyers play a guessing game whose only prize is frustration. Would especially appreciate if they said openly whether a color/material/trim has been discontinued for a particular bag.
I think the Raisin and the blue shades are currently discontinued, some shades of beige, black and bleu marine are still available at some places but admittedly it is difficult to keep track.
I really, really like this bag! It’s elegant, cool and chic! Also, I look forward to your reviews; they are always a fun read and your enthusiasm and passion is palpable!
Thank you so much Annie, I’m glad we share the love for the Montaigne! I myself look forward to hearing from you every time I write, you always have something very sweet to say!
I picked up a monogram Montaigne GM on a resale site, and I love it! It is so functional and stylish, and I change out LV shoulder straps/bandoulieres to personalize it and add a pop of color. BTW – the shoulder straps, monogram on one side and a solid color on the other, are a great addition to the Artsy as well. Found these also on Fashionphile, and they are well worth the cost – a real value-add to the classic monogram bag.
So glad you loved it!
Montaigne bags…..smh. I was so in love with the Montaigne GM empreinte but couldn’t decide for over a year to get one for $3500.00US
at the time. THEN the GM empreinte was discontinued!!! Now the MM is listed $3400.00US. For this reason I have closed the chapter on LV for good! No regrets!
So disappointed. GREED.
Totally Agree
I can understand the sentiment, LV’s price hikes are sometimes a bit steep. You could always consider the pre-owned market though, you’d find the GM for less ?
I actually purchased 4 Montaignes to take home with me and see which one I was going to keep. I fell in love with this bag when I saw it and wasn’t sure which one was going to be the perfect one for me. I like to order my bags and receive them at my home so I can take my time and see what I like rather than go to the store and feel the pressure of having to decide right away. I purchased the Montaigne BB in MM in monogram and the Montaigne BB and MM in the black empriente leather. It took me so long to make a decision however sadly as much as I still want one they are just not right for me. To be honest the BB in the monogram is adorable however it only leaves me with the option to wear it in the crook of my arm because the strap is ridiculously long. The MM in the monogram is a bit large for what I am looking for as nice as it is I always seem to grab a smaller bag when I’m leaving the house. And while it has a shorter shoulder strap it still was a little large for me. Then there was the BB in the empriente black leather which I found for some reason to look a little on the cheap side idk if it is the size or the inside material and again the long strap did not work for me. The MM is really nice in the empriente black leather I actually really loved it and wanted this one to work for me however the one thing that stopped me from going with this beauty was the inside the zipper and the strap. I really do not like the gray and black striped material inside I feel that it should be a bit more luxurious on the inside. After falling in love with the velvet inside of the monogram Montaigne I really wish they could have done the same with the empriente especially that is so high in price. I also was not a fan of the zipper as it was not smooth to unzip. And before I forget the strap with the empriente’s and the way it hooks onto the bag and forces the handles to stand up if you want to put it on your shoulder looked ridiculous to me. Anyhow I do wish that I could have kept the Montaigne MM in the Black empriente but I just couldn’t vibe with the ugly inside the zipper or the strap for $3400.
I can totally understand your frustration Jen, ever so often we have to check a lot of boxes before we can actually keep something we love. However, perhaps you could try the BB out with a shorter shoulder strap from another brand? Or maybe you could have a look at similar bags from Vuitton (like the Soufflot?) Not the Montaigne, I know, I myself love it, but having read the Montaigne Club’s threads, some issues like these are very apparent that I wish LV would adhere to.
I have the LV Montaigne GM. It bothers me that the sides seem to collapse inward. Do any of you have an organizer for your Montaigne? If so, what brand do you have and does that solve the colapse? Any suggestions of anything else that might help?