Someone please explain Louis Vuitton bags to me... and "the gays"

Gurl...

Something insatiable vapid women require as dowry for vaginal entry. All women are hookers.

Gay man risks being shot by armed robber to save his Louis Vuitton bag

A gay man that was involved in an attempted robbery in Michigan on Monday has made headlines after he refused to hand his beloved Louis Vuitton bag over to his assailant.

Jerad Kluting was walking down the streets of Holland Township, Michigan, around 5pm on Monday when a man armed with a gun and wearing a bandana over his face approached him and demanded he handed over his bag.

“It happened very fast. In one motion he took the gun out of his waist belt and with the other hand put up a bandana over his mouth and pointed, was like, ‘Give me your bag,’” Kluting said, sharing his experience with local news outlet WoodTV8.

Kluting refused to hand his possession, saying: “You’re not getting my Louis Vuitton. I worked very hard for this and this bag I’ve had forever and it means a lot to me.” That’s when his attacker allegedly fired a first warning shot.

“I wasn’t about ready to relinquish it to some thug that was going to demand it from me,” said Kluting.

The assailant fired two more shots, but Kluting still refused to hand him the bag and decided to fight it out.

While the two first shots were warning shots, the third aimed to kill, according to Kluting.

The bag, which costs $1,700, holds a special meaning to the man.

Kluting, who has been out as a gay man since he was 14, told PinkNews: ” I didn’t do it for just the Louis Vuitton – I did it because I wasn’t going to be another victim.”

Kluting first saw the bag at a time where he couldn’t afford it, and tasked himself with saving up in order to buy it.

“It means a lot to me,” he told WoodTV8. “It represents me. I wasn’t about to relinquish my personal property.”

Kluting had just moved to Holland Township from Chicago and was shocked to have been robbed in the small town.

Shortly after the altercation, a police deputy stationed nearby recognised a vehicle matching the description of the attacker and the man was arrested. Police found a stolen handgun in his possession.

The assailant, identified as 21 year old Christian Steven Bracamontes, has been formally charged.

By his own admission, Kluting was very lucky.

“As my grandmother would say, if you’re born to hang, you’ll never drown,” he said.

Resisting an armed robber is extremely dangerous, and the police encourages people to give up their possessions if they find themselves attacked. However, Kluting doesn’t regret his decision.

“I got my bag. He can pry it out of my cold dead hands,” said the defiant victim.

Robberies are common in Michigan, according to a report by the Michigan State Police.

7,116 people reported muggings or theft in 2016. That same year, at least 400 robberies took place in Michigan per month, with August counting the highest number of incidents with 752.

Handguns are often robbers’ weapon of choices.

Here's some history about the bags:

1. Louis Vuitton's career started with a journey of nearly 300 miles, on foot.

These days, if you want to design handbags, all you have to do is go to fashion school and then hustle wisely in the industry for a few years. Back in 1834, Louis Vuitton had to hoof it from his hometown of Anchay to Paris on foot in order to get his start. He started his journey at the tender age of 13, and it took him two years to arrive in Paris because he had to stop and work along the way in order to survive.

2. Louis Vuitton, the man, got his big break as the official box-maker and packer of Napoleon Bonaparte's wife, Empress Eugenie de Montijo of France.

Box-making and packing were respected professions in mid-19th century Europe, and Vuitton's appointment in 1853 elevated his profile among Europe's elite. While under the empress's employ, he was charged with carefully and beautifully packaging her wardrobe for transportation among the country's various royal residences.

3. The Alma Bag was created as a special order for Coco Chanel.

She wasn't the only French icon to influence the creation of a Louis Vuitton bag, but she was the first. Chanel special-ordered a day-sized version of the Alma Voyage for personal use in 1925; the same bag was put into regular production in the 1930s.

4. Audrey Hepburn is responsible for the creation of the Speedy Bag as we know it.

In 1965, Audrey asked Vuitton to turn the popular Keepall travel bag into a miniaturized day bag that she could carry regularly. LV obliged, and it was then turned into a regular-production piece that has since become a signature for the brand.

5. The Noé Bag was developed to hold bottles of Champagne, and it still can.

Many of Louis Vuitton's innovations were made in response to Very Fancy Problems, and the Noé is chief among them. The world's first bucket bag was designed to carry five bottles of Champagne: four with their bases down, and then a fifth inverted in the middle. The biggest Noé in LV's current lineup can still carry that load.

6. Both Louis Vuitton's famous Damier and Monogram prints were created to avoid copycats.

Vuitton's first trunks were striped, and they were widely copied by less famous Parisian trunk-makers. The check print now known as Damier (which literally translates as "checkerboard") followed in 1888, but competitors latched onto it, too. Vuitton developed its monogram in 1896 in response to those counterfeiters because it was more detailed and, therefore, harder to imitate with the era's available technology. Sadly, the same thing cannot be said about 2016. Ironic, huh?

Here's some history about the bags, 2:

7. Louis Vuitton didn't get an all-leather bag line until 1985.

Modern handbag shoppers may think of Louis Vuitton as a brand with one of the largest, most diverse product assortments in the entire luxury market, but the brand's ascendance to that spot happened gradually and over the course of decades. The Epi Leather line, introduced in the mid-80s, was LV's first permanent collection of leather bags.

8. Louis Vuitton didn't have a clothing line or creative director until 1997.

Modern consumers think of Louis Vuitton as a full-service fashion brands that makes everything from evening wear to keychains, but for over a century of its history, LV was accessories-only. That changed in 1997, when execs at LVMH (the conglomerate that resulted when Louis Vuitton merged with Moët Hennessy in 1987) hired Marc Jacobs to found the brand's ready-to-wear collection and oversee the aesthetic evolution of Louis Vuitton as a fashion brand.

9. Louis Vuitton pioneered the artist collaboration, which is now commonplace across fashion.

In 2001, Marc Jacobs brought in world-famous contemporary artist Stephen Sprouse to graffiti-embellish some of the brand's most iconic monogram bags. The results were incredibly popular, which lead LV to collaborate with artists like Takashi Murakami and Yayoi Kusama and inspired competitors to explore the artist-designed capsule collections as well.

10. Much of Vuitton's empire is attributable to a technological advance made in 1959.

That year, according to Vogue UK, manufacturers came up with a breakthrough in the coating process that made coated canvas thinner, softer and more pliable. That made the material much more appropriate for use in the manufacture of handbags, which made the LV we know and love today possible.

[quote]Gurl...

I raise a Gurl... # 2

LV is so faux pas and nouveau riche

Trump, R6

[quote]Trump, [R6]

I don't think so gurrl.

Men should avoid the standard monogram beloved by fraus everywhere and get the black version. If you HAVE to get some LV.

[quote]LV is so faux pas and nouveau riche

I agree. The label has been so bastardized and there are so many fakes (and, really good ones too!) it just doesn't make sense to me to spend over $1000 for coated canvas. A Louis Vuitton Keepall Bandoulière (like she's carrying in R8) costs $1,920.00.

Whether or not you like the brand's ubiquitous logo bags, one thing is inarguable: Louis Vuitton is the biggest handbag brand in the world. Not only does it sit atop luxury industry indexes, but it has a handbag history as long and storied as any in fashion. Just really read through R4 and R5. In fact, that history is one of the things that keeps customers coming back, even with all the options currently available from other brands.

Man, that’s a try-hard in R6.

What do fags love, R10? (Using the word now every time “frau” comes up. I be BUSY now!)

Recommend the book “Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster.”

Serves her right.

$3,000 FAKE LOUIS VUITTON BAG!! HUMILIATED IN STORE! I WAS SCAMMED! Storytime Video!!

THIS WAS ONE OF THE MOST EMBARASSING MOMENTS OF MY LIFE. You guys have no idea how humiliated I was walking into Louis Vuitton and basically being laughed at. I'm telling you guys this story because not only is it wild, it's a reminder to be smart when you buy things online. I constantly see videos of people online buying fake Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada, Versace, Fendi and whatever... but they did it on purpose! And of course, I end up getting screwed over without trying ugh.

I'm so so so happy though because I've finally got everything sorted out with the company that sold this to me. I'm getting my money back and everything so thank the lord!

After I filmed this video I started looking at the bag, box, and everything again... and I just realized how stupid I was. The box was so fake and I didn't even think twice about it because I never thought I would get scammed. I even tried to justify it after I realized it was fake! I was like... maybe Louis Vuitton just changed the packaging! Maybe I'm just crazy! I think it just came down to the fact that you see what you want to believe. And I saw a real bag because that's what I figured it would be. Maybe I'm just crazy lol! Maybe the waste of $3600 killed my mind.

R14 go fuck your Dad... again, you incest surviving Frau whore.

“Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster"

Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster is a 2007 book by Paris-based American journalist Dana Thomas.[

The book examines the corporate consolidation of small family-run luxury businesses into luxury goods holding companies, and their process of "democratizing" luxury by making it available for sale to the masses in the forms of handbags, clothing, and accessories. These new luxury conglomerates—principally Kering, which owns Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Brioni, and Gucci; Richemont, which owns Dunhill, Cartier, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Montblanc, and Van Cleef & Arpels, and LVMH, which owns Bulgari, Dior, DKNY, Fendi, Givenchy, Marc Jacobs, Louis Vuitton, Thomas Pink, as well as De Beers, TAG Heuer, and Sephora—have achieved success with fashion shows, provocative commercials, dressing celebrities for red carpet events, and through licensing, franchising, outlet malls, and online retailing.

According to Thomas, this trend has led to inferior quality, rampant outsourcing to developing nations, and a massive surge in both counterfeiting and the illicit activities it funds.

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

10 Myths About Authentic Louis Vuitton Bags

Visit any fashion chat forum, and you'll find countless myths about authentic Louis Vuitton bags. In fact, we found the myths to be so rampant that we decided to address some of them. If you're a Louis lover, you know that there are tons of unique pieces, limited editions, and variations to certain classic styles over time. It can be tricky to tell what "rules" are always true when it comes to authentic Louis Vuitton pieces, so getting some insider info to tell what's fact versus fiction can be really helpful. So check out the top 10 myths we've found for authentic Louis Vuitton bags.

Myth #1: Monogram Canvas Fades Over Time

A lot of people think that Monogram canvas will inherently fade over time and this is a myth we can verify as false. What you can see is minor color variation from piece to piece, and this can be a result of multiple factors, such as different manufacturing locations and production climate differences. However, Monogram canvas is a durable fabric that does not fade over time. We have handled thousands of authentic Louis Vuitton bags that are vintage and don't show any wear or fading of the Monogram, or Damier, canvas. If you frequently use your bag, you may notice some wear on high-impact areas where your arms rest, on the corners, or near the zipper of the bag due to the frequent friction the Monogram canvas experiences in those areas - rather than the material fading naturally. With careful use and upkeep, though, you can avoid this issue!

Myth #2: Authentic Vuitton Bags are Made of Vinyl

We've seen a lot of questions floating around the internet regarding what material Louis Vuitton bags are made from. This myth is popular because it's true that some LV bags may look like they're made of vinyl, namely the Monogram Vernis and their Monogram/Damier canvas lines. Because both Monogram canvas and Vernis are both coated materials, it's easy to see why they'd be mistaken for vinyl. Despite their stiffer and sometimes shinier exteriors, Monogram canvas and Vernis bypass vinyl completely and are made from a coated canvas and coated leather, respectively.

Myth #3: Monogram Vernis is Not Real Leather

This myth ties in closely with Myth #2 simply because Monogram Vernis does look somewhat similar to vinyl. However, the general myth about this beautiful material is that it isn't real leather. Vernis, in French, means "varnish" and this refers to the sparkly and vinyl-like coating that covers the leather of the bag. These pieces experience color transfer easily and need a bit more care that other Louis Vuitton materials, but gorgeous Monogram Vernis is able to withstand decades of use thanks to their coated leather construction.

Myth #4: Authentic Louis Vuitton Hardware Is Made of Brass

This is one of our favorite myths because it's not really a myth. It's true that authentic Louis Vuitton hardware is made of brass – sometimes. It is a common misconception that all Louis Vuitton hardware is made of solid brass. While the hardware on many Louis Vuitton items manufactured before 1970 was made of solid brass, most contemporary items will not have solid brass hardware. In the early 1970’s, Louis Vuitton began to transition away from using solid brass hardware to plated metal hardware. As of 2017, the Louis Vuitton website refers to its hardware as “golden color metallic pieces” or “shiny silver color metallic pieces” on most handbags and accessories. This type of hardware can have a brushed or a polished finish and is made of a plated base metal. However, Louis Vuitton still uses some solid brass hardware, which the Louis Vuitton website refers to as “golden brass pieces” and “silver brass pieces”, for select items like limited edition pieces and trunks.

Myth #5: LVs are Never Cut Off

Louis Vuitton is known for quality and the brand seems to be constantly working towards making pieces that are even more exquisitely crafted than before. This means that Louis Vuitton works hard to ensure that their instantly-recognizable Monogram and Damier patterns are never cut off or misaligned. This misconception is generally true, but some exceptions do exist. The “LV” logo motifs on Monogram canvas items are typically not cut off or covered with leather trim or hardware. However, the size and shape of some items simply make it impossible to avoid. Handbags such as the Ellipse, Tivoli, Tulum, have areas where the “LV” logo is either cut-off at the seam or covered by leather trim. In situations where a motif is cut-off, Louis Vuitton will often try to align that edge with a matching logo that is similarly cut-off to give the bag a superior level of continuity. However, this is not a steadfast rule either due to the complicated nature of constructing a perfectly-aligned bag so, if you're looking to authenticate a piece, you will want to consider other factors as well.

Myth #6: LVs are Never Upside Down

This myth often goes hand-in-hand with the myth that authentic Louis Vuitton bags never have cut off logos. In bags such as the Speedy, one continuous piece of Monogram Canvas is used to construct the main face and rear of the bag. As a result, the logos on the rear side will be upside down on these pieces. authentic louis vuitton monogram canvas speedy

Myth #7: Louis Vuitton Stitching is Always Consistent

It's a common belief that Louis Vuitton stitching is always consistent. In fact, it's one of the many things we look at when authenticating our bags – so it's an important factor to look at because many fake Louis bags will have drastically inconsistent stitching or simply use the wrong color or thread altogether. While the majority of authentic Louis Vuitton stitching will be consistent, you may notice a slightly misaligned stitch or loose thread on your item. If you're seeing a stitch that's out of line, don't worry – it's important to consider that misaligned stitches are often seen along interior seams and leather trim, which are specific points of construction that make it virtually impossible to maintain a clean stitch line.

Myth #8: LV Model Numbers are Stamped Inside Bags

Many people rightfully look at their LV model numbers and factory codes as a first step towards authentication. However, this myth stems from the confusing nature of these two numbers! Louis Vuitton model numbers (also known as style numbers) are actually not found within the bag itself, but it is printed on a small card that comes with every bag when it is first purchased. If you're buying a pre-loved piece, there is no guarantee that it will come with the model number card because the previous owner may have thrown out or misplaced this small card.

Myth #9: Monogram Canvas is Vuitton's First Material

Louis Vuitton has a long and expansive history, and it all began with Louis Vuitton's career as a renowned trunk-maker. While Monogram canvas has been a longtime favorite and one of the most recognizable patterns in fashion, it is not the first material used by Vuitton. In fact, Triannon canvas was Vuitton's first material, and it was a solid gray hue used in many of his pieces. As counterfeiting became more popular in the late 1800s, Rayée canvas was released in red and white as well as beige and brown varieties. In 1888, Vuitton did away with Rayée canvas and introduced the Damier canvas that we know and love today. It was only after that, in 1896, after the death of Louis Vuitton, that his son Georges released the Monogram canvas.

Myth #10: Monogram Canvas is Made of Leather

Perhaps the biggest myth surrounding Louis Vuitton bags is the idea that Monogram canvas is made of leather. Title aside, it's easy to see why this is a popular myth – Monogram canvas is durable, lasts a long time, and has a texture that can look similar to the grain of leather. Built to endure, the brand’s coated canvas pieces can last for generations with proper storage. However, this material is simply the result of adding a strong and waterproof coating to a canvas base, which Vuitton canvas is perhaps best known for. Vuitton’s use of canvas traces back to the beginnings of the brand almost 200 years ago and this waterproof coating is made exclusively by Vuitton. As time goes on, we hope to spread more information that can help LV collectors know more about the brand and each beautiful design. Make sure to share this blog with other fashion-lovers so that they, too, can get the insider scoop on these ten myths!

This will ruin Louis Vuitton for anyone - Frankie Grande was in a SoulCycle class with me and uses a bandoulière as his gym bag. Took tragic to an entirely new level.

^Wait a minute, honey... Don't all of the gays use designer bags as gym bags? And, of course SoulCycle! Or, EQUINOX.

My gym bag;

Coach Voyager/Duffle Bag 52 Sport Leather in Black

Personally, I like high quality items but don't care for items that prominently display a trademark. Most of my luggage is Hartmann,

I think the Monogram print is ugly but the Damier print is ok. All LV bags increase in value every year and some people see them as an investment.

[quote]All LV bags increase in value every year and some people see them as an investment.

The first part of your sentence is true but the latter part of it is delusional. Only those spending outlandish money to purchase LV products delude themselves with that explanation. Watch the video at R16. What investment? You can spend $2.75 to ride the subway (or, walk depending where you are) to Canal St in NYC to buy a quality knock off. Or, follow the link and buy your product online. It's from Russia with love...

It's easy to replicate LV and some of the knockoffs have gotten so good that even their own people cannot authenticate a real one from a fake. Most luxury brands have become like this. I believe Chanel refuses to authenticate whatsoever. You MUST buy in their stores.

I think that gay men are gravitating towards the label for a number of reasons. Besides the fact that most gay men want to carry a purse in the first place... Louis Vuitton is so prevalent everywhere, widely known, and accepted, that it wouldn't come off as strange if a man was carrying a bag. Well... HALLELUJAH! This has opened up a new market to exploit for these brands. MEN'S BAGS!!!

I was at a party this weekend and saw a guy with the bag that is in the link.

I know a couple (gay), who have Louis Vuitton luggage. The luggage comes with covers to protect it!!! it's conspicuous consumption and a vulgar display of waste. We all want pretty things, but spending your money on such frivolous stuff...the luggage, covered or not, is going to get knocked around going through airports.

A few years ago, I heard an interview on NPR with a guy who wrote about his life as a driver of big trucks, moving and disposing of furniture. He was from an upper middle class family who dropped out of college to see the world. He had an interesting life...ups and downs and all...but he talked about the stuff people accumulate over a lifetime. He said that much of what is meaningful and precious to us in objects gets tossed after we're dead. It really struck me. It puts the story of the Queen who wouldn't give up his Louis Vuitton bag to the armed robber in perspective.

Mary, you really want to lose your life over a bag?

One purchases expensive things to demonstrate one’s ability to purchase expensive things.

[quote]It's easy to replicate LV and some of the knockoffs

You want the raw materials? Or, the monogram material to do something creative with? Start here

People buying things they don't need with money they don't have to impress people they don't know.

[quote]People buying things they don't need

Oh no! You need a good bag.

Plenty of superficial fools are caught up in labels, not just silly gays. My Sister In Law was a world-class label whore: only the most expensive logos would do. That was until she suffered some major tragedies in her life that had a funny way of pushing her need to wear fancy clothes to the back burner. I'm sure that if you asked her, she much rather prefer to walk in rags rather than be bed-ridden in the finest bed clothes that Gucci can make.

[quote]not just silly gays

Though gays certainly make up a significant percentage of the market for designer shit in general, I've never thought of "Weeton" as gay. I first noticed a few of the JAPpier girls carrying LV in college (early '70s), then when I got my first job in advertising in NY in 1976, I saw lots of LV bags at work, all carried by women, some JAPs, some not-such-JAPs.

I have never been able to comprehend why someone would spend that much for something that ugly. Probably a good thing I got out of advertising.

[quote]I have never been able to comprehend why someone would spend that much for something that ugly.

They just grow on you and before you know it you LOVE them!

I despise status clothing and accessories. To me, it's an absurd scam. People shell out hundreds if not thousands of dollars for the cachet of carrying and wearing items that are essentially advertisements for the brand. They are paying the companies to advertise for them. It's an upside down world. If Louis Vuitton wants me to be their walking billboard, they can pay me to carry their rather pedestrian bags.

[quote]the luggage, covered or not, is going to get knocked around going through airports.

Well, that was the selling point of LV. "It could take a lickin' and keep on tickin'" (Yes, I know that's TIMEX but you get my point), and that is why the brand and products were so successful. But, now? Nuh-Uh... LOTS of complaints about the product, quality, and quality control. The brand is pretty much living off of its history--quite successfully I might add. LVMH definitely makes the money and its LV that brings in the heft.

Below are complaints from 2017

- Glazing was chipping off where the strap ring hits it. Canvas splitting from a stitch on the flap joint. All after 2 months of use. Some Iffy stitching and glazing splotches on the canvas too. It was Made in France. I think that bag was made on Friday and the quality controller was off sick :smile: . LV did sort it out in the end, so I was a happy bunny. It's not put me off.

-I had a DE NF (MIF) that had chronically excessive cracking on the straps and, after 3 repairs within a single year, LV deemed the bag defective and exchanged it for another which never gave me an ounce of trouble. For SLGs, my Josephine (MIF) had severe cracking along at its four flex points after about 5 months of inconsistent use and LV gave me credit towards a different wallet. I also had a DA cles (MIU) who's canvas, within a month, was becoming progressively more warped to the point where the zipper was getting stuck (it came out of the drawer bent, but I thought that it would relax with a little use...nope), again LV was good about this and exchanged. Despite all of this I'm not turned off the brand since out of all the items that LV makes in a year the actual percentage of genuine defects is very low; it just seems larger than what it is because this forum is a concentration of purse enthusiasts.

-I had an major issue with my Emilie, the underside of the flip was bubbling up and I only received it for Christmas. However after many attempts to exchange or have any sa review the issues. Another lovely sa took one look and said nope, it should not be like that at all. And exchanged it for me. It took so many tries to get someone to say yeah this is an issue. /:

[quote]I despise status clothing and accessories. To me, it's an absurd scam.

It can be. But, if you know what you are buying and why you are buying it, then you more than likely own an heirloom piece which can be passed down for generations.

Hello...

It's all about how it makes you feel. For some people (gay men) they purchase Louis Vuitton to impress other people like R32 points out. For many others the purchase does indeed represent a sense of personal accomplishment and therefore a pride in oneself.

It's funny... but, yesterday after I finished reading this thread, I walked into my office's elevator and there was a man already on it and he was carrying a cobalt-blue Damier Louis Vuitton bandoulière keepall bag. Now, I thought that I showed no type of expression or emotion but I must have because I could see from his face that he realized that I knew what he was carrying even though we didn't speak. I don't think I stared at him but instead was looking at him out the corner of my eye. I noticed how his chest swelled and how it seemed as if he moved the bag (as if to display) a bit more. It was a moment although it was just seconds. I couldn't tell you if he was gay or not but it definitely was a moment.

BTW: That bag is about $1300

.....

Virgil Abloh ruined the brand. Walking into an LV store now is like walking into a Popeye's.

All those designer bags with visible initials on them have one audience these days: rich Asians with rich Middle Easterners as a secondary target.

Gays too it seems from this thread but as noted the vast number of fakes and, let's be real, the massive popularity of the brand in Hip Hop Culture have taken away any allure it might have had for the original audience.

Walk down 57th Street or Rodeo Drive or Bond Street, etc. and the only people in the LV or Gucci stores are Asians.

[quote] I first noticed a few of the JAPpier girls carrying LV in college (early '70s),

I love when DLers relate anecdotes from 50 years ago without realizing they are relating anecdotes from half a century ago.

Label queens who run around with LV are instantly off my list of fuckable bottoms. I already know what they are going to be like in bed. Usually dead fish or "do me" bottoms.

Not Ghetto at all.

You can never be too thin, too rich or have too much LV.

^Piker

So Posh

IT's time for gays to flush this played out vapid obsession.

......

Now, honestly....

I truly believe that this design interpretation could actually catch on. Imagine attending a pool party on Fire Island and you see these receptacles strategically placed for the convenience of the guests?

I don't believe this is real but a sleeve.

So, given this example and the above gaudy perversions of the logo, has LV "jumped the shark," so to speak and is on the level and road of a Pierre Cardin. Or, has the brand just been able to create more of an envy and mysticism around its brand?

[quote]Or, has the brand just been able to create more of an envy and mysticism around its brand?

You can have fun with it. I believe that enhances the mysticism.

When pretty much every salesbottom in Manhattan can afford an LV gym bag, you know your brand has lost its caché

[quote]pretty much every salesbottom in Manhattan can afford an LV gym bag

Of course! They get a 30% discount. That's a nice slice off of these prices. Beside, how else do you think that they snag hot tops? If he's a good fuck it could result in his & his bags.

[quote]The vast number of fakes and,let's be real, the massive popularity of the brand in Hip Hop Culture have taken away any allure it might have had for the original audience.

Yep. That's why any self-respecting queen wouldn't be caught wearing it. Only Hermès and Chanel will do.

I do have a Zegna briefcase, wallet, and cell phone case, but my gym bag is an old blue Adidas bag that I bought at Filene's in Boston years ago when I bought too many books in the used book stores there and needed an extra bag to haul them all home.

It's kind of long (20 min) but it is engaging. The bottom line is "NO". A quick reading of some comments is interesting.

I have personally hated the monogram bags for years, whether LV or comparatively cheaper brands such as Coach, Michael Kors, etc...following suit. Agree with previous posters re: paying to carry what is now an unoriginal and frequently frankly ugly accessory to be their walking billboard. And outside of admitting some fine detail (stitching, etc) quality in the handles, etc of a real Louis......it’s not enough to justify the price. Especially when considering the shape/design/quality of the rest of the bag.

I do love Brahmin. I’ve never seen them go the logo/monogram route, genuine materials, and good craftsmanship. I am still complimented on my first which I purchased in 2005, and still looks almost new. Have bought a few more since and for less than $1K can get a very nice bag and matching/coordinating wallet. Frequent compliments. Haven’t seen the quality fade since my last purchase. And you can find anything from a very basic brown/black monotone to seasonal colors, designs, variety of sizes, most are structured (which I frankly prefer), and easy to accessorize if desired. And made in Massachusetts, as well.

To each their own, but I prefer to get what I’m paying for.....and lasting, timeless quality and style if I’m paying a sum that high.

^This is what I love about this thread and those that are similar. It's about education and learning of new things. I've never heard of the brand Brahmin (noted above.) But, I'd rather pay less than $500 for a leather "gym" bag like the one in this link opposed to over $1000 for the PVC in R41. The girls in the gym will be just as impressed, if not more...

[quote]And made in Massachusetts, as well.

I'm beginning to look at this aspect more and value it much more. There's nothing wrong with France--nothing at all in my opinion, but why not look at the smaller and domestic companies that are here? Many of these companies have high ethical standards and would really appreciate the business. If one is truly interested in genuine materials, and good craftsmanship, then you can't go wrong patronizing these smaller companies. If it's a design that you like, then many of these companies can customize. They won't do a knock-off (to my knowledge) but will do something close and/or far superior.

Lotuff leather is another example;

LOTUFF LEATHER-HANDMADE IN AMERICA

Bringing Handmade Back to America: We lovingly hand-make each piece using the best methods, leathers, and materials we know. Each step, from start to finish, is deliberate and methodical. From sourcing the best leather we could find in the global market to cutting, stitching, painting, and assembling precisely in our Providence, Rhode Island studio, we strive for perfection, not expediency. After all, many customers often look back on their purchase and routinely tell us that they are more satisfied now than on that first day they received their bag.

We also believe you must invest in the best people in order to create the best leather bags. Our team attends to every step in-house to provide well made, well designed leather goods that function practically and age beautifully, getting better and more truly yours over time. Thank you for your interest and support. Your purchases have enabled us to:

Grow Our Team: We have hired 19 highly talented artists who take immense pride in doing their best work and making the Lotuff bags you've come to know and love. Many of our artists channel their talents into their own personal artistic endeavors outside the Lotuff studio, too.

Invest in Our Team: We have been able to increase wages and offer our full-time employees 100% paid health insurance coverage, life insurance & disability, dental & vision coverage, and generous earned time off that also extends to part-time employees.

Improve Our Artistry: With each new style, we take the time to perfect the process and stand by our lifetime guarantee. It's no wonder our Creative Director Lindy McDonough was recently inducted into the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and our No. 12 Weekender was picked by GQ as the "Best Leather Duffle" of 2017 and 2019.

Only high class people can afford such luxury.

Image all the retail bottoms who think they are all that only to stumble on this thread and realize all that money on a PVC bag makes them pedestrian trash. But then they must know that don't they?

But, what I'm finding interesting (after seeing all of the schlock) is the R54 question.

Quit dreaming r56. There is no magical mystery. It's not going to happen, if you own LV you are a tacky queen. It's called branding. And as someone who worked with people in that industry, it's basically the lowest class who get taken in by it the most.

Virgil Abloh

Virgil Abloh (/ˈæbloʊ/; born September 30, 1980) is an American fashion designer, entrepreneur, artist, and DJ who has been the artistic director of Louis Vuitton's men's wear collection since March 2018. Abloh is also the chief executive officer of the Milan-based label Off-White, a fashion house he founded in 2013.

A trained architect, Abloh, who also worked in Chicago street fashion, entered the world of international fashion with an internship at Fendi in 2009 alongside rapper Kanye West. The two then began an artistic collaboration that would launch Abloh's career into founding Off-White. The first American of African descent to be named artistic director at a French luxury fashion house, Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2018.

2018–present: Louis Vuitton

On March 25, 2018, Abloh was named artistic director of Louis Vuitton's menswear ready wear line, marking him the first person of African descent to lead the brand's menswear line, as well as one of the few black designers at the helm of a major French fashion house. Upon his acceptance of the position, he stated, "It is an honor for me to accept this position. I find the heritage and creative integrity of the house are key inspirations and will look to reference them both while drawing parallels to modern times". Abloh showed his first collection for Louis Vuitton at the 2018 Men's Fashion Week at the Palais-Royal gardens in Paris. Rihanna was the first person to wear Abloh before the show. Playboi Carti, Steve Lacy, A$AP Nast, Dev Hynes, and Kid Cudi walked for the fashion show. Abloh has since been in high demand for his designs, creating an original outfit designed for Serena Williams to wear throughout the 2018 US Open, a collaboration with Nike. In March 2019, Abloh collaborated with Ikea to start making furniture for millennials, ranging from cabinets, rugs, coffee tables, and chairs. Abloh has incorporated different elements of style, such as his quotation marks around certain words and putting it on different articles of clothing, and in this case different types of furniture. For example, Abloh created a “Door Stop Interruption” on a chair by adding a doorstop on one of the chair legs to make it elevated. One of Abloh's most popular items is the Frakta Bag. It is beige with the text "SCULPTURE" imprinted on the side. Virgil teamed up with SSENSE to release a workout collection on March 29th, 2019 . This collection contains a variety of workout clothes ranging from; matching leggings and sports bras, athletic sweaters and crop tops. This collection incorporates some of Virgil’s signature designs by including the Off-White yellow sign wrapping around the waist of the pants and bottom of the sports bras. Virgil also includes a three-dimensional addition of his four-way arrows, creating a cross, on the front of the tops and pants. Abloh was featured in conversation with his friend and frequent collaborator Takashi Murakami on the cover of the fall 2018 issue of Cultured magazine.

In 2019, Abloh was appointed to the board of directors of The Council of Fashion Designers of America. The council seeks to promote the American fashion industry.

Virgil Abloh created a custom Off-White gown and veil for Hailey Bieber's wedding day. On the veil, he included his famous quotation marks design around the words "till death do us part"

[quote]It's called branding. And as someone who worked with people in that industry, it's basically the lowest class who get taken in by it the most.

Oh, really?

You lost me with " rapper Kanye West."

Trash is trash no matter how much money someone has.

Neck Tattoos are trashy R69 so you are not impressing anyone with a pick of a trashy guy who loves trashy labels.

[quote]Trash is trash no matter how much money someone has.

I think this sums it up. But, I think that is the message that the image wants to convey.

[quote]On March 25, 2018, Abloh was named artistic director of Louis Vuitton's menswear ready wear line, marking him the first person of African descent to lead the brand's menswear line

Well duh, once a brand has lost it's luster they always go ghetto for one more round of cash flow. Putting a black guy in charge is not rocket since. But I guess it is good branding if you want to sell to lower classes who think a PVC fake leather bag with a logo makes you important.

R73 “they” have ruined most every high end brand. Bottega Veneta and Zegna are a few that have maintained, Hermès has been turned out by trashy housewives.

HA! I LOVE IT!

This REALLY IS a good story!

A giant Vuitton trunk on Red Square is controversial

The ocher trunk and yellow of nine meters high and 30 long and stamped must shelter an exhibition. But its location arouses indignation in Moscow.

A gigantic trunk in the colors of the French luxury brand Louis Vuitton , located just next to the mausoleum where Lenin rests and blocking the view of the Red Square in Moscow, caused outrage on Tuesday in the Russian capital.

The brown and yellow trunk stamped with the famous acronym Louis Vuitton LV, a huge pavilion nine meters high and 30 long, sits in the middle of the square, a UNESCO World Heritage site, hiding the Basilica Cathedral on Blessed and his colorful domes.

From December 2 until January 19, it will be hosting an exhibition of Vuitton trunks that have belonged throughout history to various celebrities.

On its website, the Louis Vuitton brand states that the profits from the sale of tickets will be donated in full to the charitable foundation of the model Natalia Vodianova, Naked Hearts, which funds actions for children with disabilities.

"Holy place of the Russian state" But the presence of this pavilion close to the Kremlin has provoked many indignant reactions among MPs and civil society.

"The Red Square has a special status, it's a sacred place of the Russian state," Communist deputy Sergei Obukhov told RIA Novosti.

"There are certain symbols that should not be trivialized and denigrated because the future of the state depends on it, I thought that the current power had finally understood that, that is why it had put an end to discussions about burial (of Lenin), "he added.

Another member of the ruling United Russia party, Alexander Sidiakine, criticized the operation and said he had asked the Federal Anti-Monopoly Service (FAS) to check whether the advertising legislation had been respected.

"The gigantic dimensions of construction are not justifiable, (...) it spoils the view of monuments of cultural heritage" Russian, he said.

"You have to consider the status (of the place) and the fact that tens of thousands of people come here especially to see the Red Square and not the flag of a known company," said coordinator Konstantin Mikhailov. Arkhnadzor, a Russian NGO that defends the architectural heritage of Moscow.

The management of the Kremlin administrative services "has nothing to do with the installation of the Louis Vuitton Pavilion on the Red Square," his spokesman Viktor Khrekov told Interfax.

[quote] if you own LV you are a tacky queen. It's called branding. Image all the retail bottoms who think they are all that only to stumble on this thread and realize all that money on a PVC bag makes them pedestrian trash.

I'm doing my garbage cans like R53. I ordered the stencil last night. It'll be a weekend project that I'll do after the holidays. I find it entertaining and I see a message like that one being conveyed in R72. I also ordered the cupcake paraphernalia in R55. LOL!

So apparently we have a LV Retail bottom troll here now pushing the LV history. Yes Dear, that's old news and the product are not what they were 100 years ago. PVC bags. Literally the same thing as a trash bag.

Do it R78. If you are lucky some retail label queens get their panties in a wad over it. Degrading the brand they so much self identify with.

OH! I'm DEFINITELY doing it, R80!

You will need a clever degrading snarky response when some queen confronts you about it R81. Those fake label queens need to be put into their place.

[quote][R73] “they” have ruined most every high end brand. Bottega Veneta and Zegna are a few that have maintained, Hermès has been turned out by trashy housewives.

And, who are the "they," R74?

[quote]The vast number of fakes and,let's be real, the massive popularity of the brand in Hip Hop Culture have taken away any allure it might have had for the original audience.

[quote]Yep. That's why any self-respecting queen wouldn't be caught wearing it. Only Hermès and Chanel will do.

Throw in DIOR

FYI:

Recently Resigned After Being A Sales Associate At Louis Vuitton.

Well, for LV, I'm pretty sure we don't have to be ridiculously good looking or models to be able to become hired. But there are some criteria that are enforced strictly. The hair absolutely must be neat and short for men. Female staff must have a french Braid or a bun that is neat. We cannot have tattoo's visible and you can't have ridiculous looking piercings. I am pretty darn sure LV does not care about the looks at all, just work ethic. Men and Women staff are all given a custom made uniform. Men are given 2 suits, 2 ties, an LV belt, and a pair of shoes. We do not pay for our uniform it is provided by the company. Working conditions were okay. I guess it depends on the store because they are all different. We have a lounge and lockers for our staff. We also have good benefits such as 30 percent discount, Health, Dental, and Life Insurance. I say it's pretty alright.

-Do you have to return the belt if you quit?

Not the belt. Just everything else though. However while you are working and a new set of uniform comes out, the old uniform that you received when you were hired is for you to keep. I think it's pretty cool that they give you the clothes. I have a friend who works at Nordstrom. He said he had to buy his own suit.

-What happens if a woman applies who has hair too short for that? You need to have lots of hair for a bun and quite a bit for a French plait.

They can just keep it behind their ear and keep it neat.

-Do LV stores clean items? I bought a Damier Azur key holder a few months ago and the inside is getting very dirty as it's a cream colour and I was just wondering if I take it into the store whether or not they would clean it? I would love to exchange it for a darker one but I doubt they would let me do that :( Or would they? I also have an iPhone 3G Damier Graphite iPhone pouch and the rubber on the side which holds the two halves together is starting to come off which is starting to make it look untidy and fake, I rang LV customer services and the person I was talking to hadn't experienced that before and I was to take it or post it to the store for them to repair. I would do that no problem but I'm wondering if they would charge me for repairs or if that type of thing would be free? Anyway whatever insight you can give me would be helpful because the person I was on the phone to wasn't that helpful. Thanks! Also, this is my new favourite page on reddit! I am a massive fan of Louis Vuitton!

We always dust our items constantly and have a rotation on our items on display because the vivienne leather on the bags are very very sensitive to sunlight. It depends on how bad your item is damaged and the management/repair operator would be the judge of the cost. If its not that bad, it wouldnt even cost anything

The Patti Pie guy

I am an 19 year old boy from Germany.... My mother is very involved in Designer brands - their clothes and bags.... it started when I was 14, when she gave me a Louis Vuitton Keepall for my birthday.... Since then I just adore Designer things, especially Louis Vuitton "bags"...

For my 18 I got a Abbesses messenger and now, for my final examinations I got a Louis Vuitton sac bosphore for my Laptop and a Louis Vuitton iPod widescreen case..... In Germany it's kinda weird to have these things, because those very intolerant germans always yell at me "Gay" and "Fag!!"..... but you know, actually I am not gay... Can't I be straight having Louis Vuitton "stuff" (Devil wears Prada would be angry with me for using this word... )????

I mean I really love it, especially monogram canvas....

Are they just jealous or do they know more than I do?

Looking above the fact that it's very intolerant anyway to cry "Gay" or something like that at somebody I was wondering how people all over world handle that.... are man in your country gay having those beautiful things?

I mean this industry is based, mostly, on gay man.... What would we do without them? Tom Ford, Dolce&Gabbana, they all make great clothes, Lagerfeld, this world would be meaningless without them...... :wtf:

And then there are these people, that try to look impressive,:supacool: yelling "Gay" at you and wearing a D&G belt at the same time... who do they think they are? Having a problem with homosexuals but wearing their accessories.....

Hope you are going to tell me some stories out of your lives.....

Okay... these are cute. I'd take either one. Or, BOTH!

I wonder if it's real fur?

^Mink

$2K-plus

R85, thank you for all the info. That's interesting.

How is the hourly pay for the LV sales associates? I'm assuming the SAs work on commission. Can you say what percent the SAs make as commission?

TIA.

It doesn't sound too good,R92. Also, a lot of worker complaints--most USA complaints are coming out of Texas. But, here is what I found;

"Average Louis Vuitton Sales Associate yearly pay in the United States is approximately $31,484, which is 31% below the national average. SAs do not get commission but do get 30% discount (products cannot be LE and must be out for 6 months before they can purchase). If there is a LE line that does not do well in the stores they can receive a 50% discount but are limited to 2 pieces. They are expected to meet sales quotas and receive small quarterly bonuses.

R93, what does "LE" stand for? TIA (thanks in advance).

[quote]I mean this industry is based, mostly, on gay man.... What would we do without them? Tom Ford, Dolce&Gabbana, they all make great clothes, Lagerfeld, this world would be meaningless without them...... :wtf:

We would be perfectly fine without them which we are. The vast majority of people who buy LV are woman, not gay men. Gay men who do this are basically trying to be stylish woman in the cheapest most tacky way possible.

If you are for real, and that young, stop linking your identity with cheap products and brand labels. The only one impressed with that stuff is yourself. You in fact do look like a fool worshiping those things because they are meaningless status symbols only shallow materialistic whores think are important. Grow the fuck up and be a man, develop who you are by what you do not by what you buy. And if you do have to spend money, buy high quality with no label on the outside of the product. THAT is what class is.

R94 Limited Edition

Jesus, that boy at R16 can talk. I hope he can eventually gets over his humiliation, poor soul.

Flamboyant homosexuals have made it difficult for all other men, both gay and straight to be respected when accessorized - Especially in locations with less worldly views. The only "fashionable" public figures that mainstream society is exposed to, are the ones that throw their sexuality in the faces of others. It is because of this that others view 'style' as a homosexual trait.

It is no longer possible for a well-dressed man to enter a public venue without being fingered as "gay" - Whether it be a pair of designer shoes, premium watch or perfectly tailored suit. If you aren't a slob, you must be a homosexual.

[quote]but my gym bag is an old blue Adidas bag that I bought at Filene's in Boston years

Well, it's a matter of whatever works for you, but I believe a men's gym bag market developed in the late 70's to early 80's as exercising and gym memberships became more popular. I recall "XYZ" company (any known sports company) would come out with THE ultimate gym bag design ie. place for a water bottle, clean underwear, etc that would run in the latest issue of "Mens Fitness," "Esquire," and "GQ" magazines. That nylon Adidas bag was becoming fashion and fashionable. Then.... Well, anyone else remember the "exercise" magazines; "Fitness For Men Only" and "Men's Workout"? Some would say that those publications were nothing more than thinly-veiled homo erotica. Thinly-veiled???

Then we moved to backpacks and casual wear. Well... if there are no more suits then there is no need for brief cases (a bag), right? But, more mature/established men wanted and needed a backpack that had more of a substance and therefore we started seeing more leather bags or backpacks made with more substantial materials. So, a design like R52 isn't surprising. But, that wasn't good enough!

Some of us don't like backpacks (like me) and we liked our duffel gym bag. But, then we have the creation and popularity of the luxury gyms, such as EQUINOX. Therefore, there needed to be a better alternative to the cheap nylon duffel bag. Once designers started having men walk the catwalks with various bags (only responding to what they were seeing on the streets) its become "game on" and a whole new market has opened up. I don't carry my gym bag R24 just to the gym. It's with me everyday and holds more than just my gym needs. So, I think the look in the link will become more common place.

OMG! Is Filene's Basement still around?

Correct, R96

R4 how the hell do know all of that? And thanks so much for departing wisdom. I have no desire for a bag of his, but I like knowing a success story.

[quote]Virgil Abloh ruined the brand. Walking into an LV store now is like walking into a Popeye's.

I don't know about that. LV is a behemoth and has become much more so since its acquisition of OFF WHITE and bringing in Virgil as its Creative Director. The brand is just stomping all sorts of previous records and competition while hitting all sorts of new records! Arnault (CEO) has done a fantastic job!

What I believe Virgil has done is bridged the gap between LV's women, men, gay, straight, audiences. The many looks in his last fashion show are those that I can envision many straight men wearing and most of them were carrying a bag too. He SLAYED it! Women are less likely to pigeon hole men because they are carrying something LV and gay men are becoming even more comfortable carrying items since the straight boys have accepted it. This is a booming market and LV has grabbed a HUGE slice of it.

But, what is VERY strategic is that LV is grooming future customers by attracting A LOT of young people to the brand. Once again, that's where Virgil comes in. He's a straight man. He's a street wear designer. He can now make street wear acceptable by the straight world (particularly men) and make it luxurious.

Video below (check out the designs, if nothing else)

I Think Virgil Abloh Did a Good Job?!? (Louis Vuitton Men’s Spring-Summer 2019 Fashion Show Review)--This is probably my most controversial video to date . . . but so is Virgil's appointment at Louis Vuitton.

R98 seems to think that being labeled as gay is a bad thing.

And if you are so butch, what are you even doing posting on a gossip board?

[quote][R98] seems to think that being labeled as gay is a bad thing.

Let's not fool ourselves, R104. A lot of people still believe that being gay and/or being labeled as gay is a bad thing.

Someone once suggested that I buy a LV trunk to put on the trunk rack of my 1930's limousine. I suggested that they finish the prescription.

Who knew fashionistas could be so long winded.

Competition

Designer stuff always ends up ironically trashy and common, as Burberry exemplifies.

[quote]Designer stuff always ends up ironically trashy

Exactly, just look at R108 photo trying to convince us bags are still in for gays.

[quote]Who knew fashionistas could be so long winded.

Because their panties are in a wad that the outside world sees their obsession with labels is ridiculously stupid and shallow. It's not impressing anyone because you are not your bag no matter how much you spend on the PVC thing. You cant buy class you dizzy LV queens.

More and more men are carrying bags

Not going Ghetto at all.

[quote]More and more men are carrying bags

More and more flamboyant men are carrying bags.

There, fixed it for ya.

Designer Drugs

LOL R113!!!

What kind of kid would buy this? Barron is that you?

LV is the favorite status symbol of drug dealers.

Who's idea was it to make a brown condom?

^LOL!!! These are funny! Nothing has beat the fried chicken, (R75), yet!

But, honestly... This thread, images, videos, etc have really made me much more interested in the brand and the branding of it. I've actually gotten a few design ideas from this thread. I'm SO DOING the garbage cans R53! But, I'm thinking about buying a cheap sailor's trunk and doing a table like the one below.

The logo, just by itself, is a catalyst for certain emotions whether they be good or bad. If it all can be taken in fun what is the harm? But... I DO LOVE THAT SCARF IN R90! Also, if I had to buy an LV bag I could be happy with either bag, (or both), in R89. They're both leather, though.

Louis Vuitton and it's famous “LV” monogram is one of the most recognized brand symbols. Often considered as one the most aspirational handbags for elite women, the logo is symbolic of power and money. Louis's son Georges is credited with the creation of the logo to honor his late father. It sends a clear message – this is us and we are what we do.

That's a very dated 80's coffee table concept R120. And not in a retro cool way. "Buy a trunk and put a glass on it" was kind of the thing because it was cheaper than buying a nice coffee table. It's played out in my opinion.

Men Want to Wear Purses, They Just Don’t Know It Yet--By Anastasiia Fedorova in Editor's PicksJul 29, 2019

The crowds outside menswear shows in Paris are always a good hint of what’s going to be the talk of the industry in the months to come. At PFW19, we saw plenty of great ’fits, but Frank Ocean and his large green Celine bag were a particular show-stealer. As well as Frank, we spotted a host of men’s bags carried down the runway, and now we’re seeing them in our favorite stores (shopping tips included below).

Recent fashion weeks have shown how the attitude toward bags in menswear is changing. You don’t have to look femme or overdressed to sport a sizable accessory traditionally associated with women’s fashion. In recent years, bags for men have gone from something almost taboo to one of the hottest trends, and the biggest industry players are keen to jump on board.

In Milan, Fendi presented men’s versions of the label’s signature Baguette and Peekaboo bags, and a collaboration with Japanese luggage expert PORTER. A hybrid of a side bag and handbag in red, blue, and champagne-colored nylon with a golden F clasp, the Baguette is certain to be a sought-after model.

At Kim Jones’ Dior in Paris, almost every outfit was complemented by a bag: the new cross-body men’s version of Dior’s Saddle bag in silky nylon; neck wallets and small hard-case tube-shaped bags; soft fur bags; and more understated messenger-style numbers with metal buckles by Matthew Williams of ALYX.

At Prada, meanwhile, there were already covetable black nylon backpacks, and Loewe had sleek crocodile clutch bags, large leather totes, and variations of the label’s hit Puzzle bag.

For Fall/Winter 2019, almost every major fashion house has an updated it-bag for men, but few have worked on theirs as thoroughly as Virgil Abloh. In less than a year at Louis Vuitton, he has given us numerous versions of the Keepall: glow-in-the-dark; iridescent; semi-transparent neon pink and yellow; soft gray, and oversized black monogram-embossed in puffer material. This season also brings us medium and purse-like mini versions of Louis Vuitton’s signature retro travel trunks.

Attitudes started to shift a few years ago. That went hand in hand with the rise of streetwear and was influenced by street culture references and ’90s fashion. First fanny packs and then side bags became a menswear staple. It was a no-brainer, a combination of simple utilitarian design and practicality.

The overwhelming success of outdoor and skate brands’ versions were perhaps a turning point — think Patagonia, The North Face, Supreme, and Palace. It proved that in the menswear and streetwear markets, a bag can be a token of hype and obsession as much as the Birkin bag was for the Sex and the City generation of women. The side bag trend is still going strong, with the likes of Gucci, A-COLD-WALL*, and Burberry continuing to expand the range.

The popularity of side bags was followed by the growing influence of even more masculine workwear and military designs: chest rigs (pioneered by ALYX), harnesses, and belt bags. The designs often played with fetish elements and added a bit of structure to relaxed sportswear silhouettes.

Previously, men’s bags were worn mostly as yet another garment and left hands-free, but now we’re talking handbags and shoulder bags, styled and worn exactly as women do. As seen with Ocean’s Celine tote, women’s bags and purses are becoming more acceptable in men’s wardrobes.

As a major driving force in contemporary fashion expression, hip-hop culture plays an integral part in this process. Tyler, the Creator has been rocking classic Chanel purses for a couple of years (check out dusty pink here or pale blue here). It feeds into the broader gender-bending fashion experimentation happening in hip-hop right now.

Hip-hop culture has come a long way in challenging toxic masculinity while continuously incorporating an obsession with luxury fashion labels. If rappers are carrying Chanel purses, it’s going to end up on the street soon enough.

At the same time, the rise of the men’s it-bag is also simply business. Bags are one of the largest sources of revenue for global luxury labels, so the math is simple: get men to buys bags and you’ll sell twice as many bags. With consumption habits increasingly shaped by the more gender-neutral space of streetwear, the younger generation is becoming more comfortable with genderless shopping when it comes to accessories.

Today, labels are trying to grasp the shifting meaning of luxury. The gender binaries of luxury fashion are blurring, but that can mean a curious migration of status symbols from womenswear to menswear and back again.

“Last year, we argued that sneakers had replaced handbags as the biggest status symbol in women’s fashion,” wrote Highsnobiety senior staff writer Lia McGarrigle. “Looking to flex? A hard-to-get pair of kicks will impress a lot more than an off-the-rack Alexander Wang bag. It’s not crazy to think the opposite could soon become true for men.”

In these uncertain times, luxury is a fluid business. Sometimes it’s about inventing something new, sometimes it’s about picking up something old like a classic Chanel purse and giving it a new spin. It seems the only thing that’s left is deciding what to call it.

[quote]Louis Vuitton and it's famous “LV” monogram is one of the most recognized brand symbols

Yes, and as you can see it's the choice of ghetto trash and drug dealers too.

I know woman who are wealthy and have real style. The kind that people complement them on with out asking. NONE of them would be caught dead with that cheap LV trash. They just roll their eyes when they see other woman carrying it. It says low class.

STOP WITH THE CUT AND PAST LV ADS!!!!

You are not convincing anyone.

Louis Vuitton is the Dump Cake of style.

[quote]"Buy a trunk and put a glass on it" was kind of the thing because it was cheaper than buying a nice coffee table.

BINGO!

[quote]. They just roll their eyes when they see other woman carrying it. It says low class.

I've read that many people view a LV purchase as a primer to the luxury market. So?

Oh look a dog shit bag holder. CLASSY!

I don't know what's tackier: you all clamoring for these hideous monogrammed bags or lamenting that black people now also purchase them. Some of you are far too uneducated.

^LOL R129! So, why hasn't this brand gone the way of Pierre Cardin?

[quote]I've read that many people view a LV purchase as a primer to the luxury market. So?

That's not reality, that's called marketing. What I am observing in the real world where woman with money and class live I can tell you they think that LV stuff is trash the common people buy to try and impress people.

Except for Candy Spelling, she has no class so I am sure she has a collection.

[quote]I don't know what's tackier: you all clamoring for these hideous monogrammed bags or lamenting that black people now also purchase them.

Hmm... Another avenue of discussion that is avoided; When your product becomes too... "urban."

R13: white people love to steal from black culture, but God forbid they ascend socially to a point where they can purchase an overpriced bag.

Here's a tip: try to form your own style and sense of fashion. Anybody with taste would avoid the LV monogram.

[quote]Hip-hop culture has come a long way in challenging toxic masculinity while continuously incorporating an obsession with luxury fashion labels. If rappers are carrying Chanel purses, it’s going to end up on the street soon enough.

With a corresponding rise in purse snatchings!

Weekender

Too much of the brown color (original, PVC on canvas). I prefer black, dark blue or dark gray as neutrals.

[quote]Kluting refused to hand his possession, saying: “You’re not getting my Louis Vuitton. I worked very hard for this and this bag I’ve had forever and it means a lot to me.”

LOL! "Do you know how many old men i had to fuck to get this bag??"

r69, just because David Beckham is married to a woman named Posh doesn't mean either he or she is posh. They are both chav trash.

People have been making fun of the ubiquitousness of the Louis Vuitton logo since Madeline Kahn in Mel brooks's "High Anxitey." (LKater in the movie she has a teddy bear made entirely of the fabric).

Unless you've packed for a road trip in your Bentley or have a private aircraft (may do), you have to be pretty stupid to use LV as your luggage. Nothing screams "cut me open and steal my contents" more than an LV logo.

I have brought this thread up to two friends of mine. One friend is female, straight, and single. The other friend is male, gay, and has a long-term boyfriend--3 years. Both of them are successful. Neither one could understand why anyone would spend so much money on PVC. However, my male friend's boyfriend owns something LV (I think a backpack) and whenever they travel together he said that his boyfriend is stopped a few times by strangers wanting to look at his bag, asking if it is real, etc. Bottom line, his bag is a showstopper. The boyfriend isn't really materialistic (or a label whore)--he's a designer, but my friend did buy him a Hermès belt for some occasion. Anyway, my male friend thinks it's a waste of money for such a cheap material. Yet, (I sort of heard it in his voice), he's sort of likes how his boyfriend is treated whenever he is carrying his bag. My friend is a big mucky-muck in the hospitality sector.

My female friend is in publishing and she is EXTREMELY stylish and VERY chic! However, she is thrift shop and costume jewelry chic. VERY tight with a dollar (although one wouldn't know it) and she believes that LV is a message to others like; "Welcome to the club." It's a signal to others of how the owner of LV wants to be approached, likes to be approached, and expects to be approached. She wouldn't EVER buy a fake LV and the cost of even anything a used LV item would be prohibitive to her. However, she is the type that notices right off ANYTHING of quality that anyone wears and will comment on it to me, like; "Did you see what so-and-so was wearing?" She'll spot watches and jewelry within seconds!

[quote] My female friend is in publishing and she is EXTREMELY stylish and VERY chic!

I hope she is less redundant and shouts less than you do.

[quote]he believes that LV is a message to others like; "Welcome to the club."

Yeah, nouveau riche club who thinks buying the lowest end designer label makes her important.

I know in my heart they are tacky, but I want a never full so bad. I know I am a frau and I cant afford one.

[quote]My female friend is in publishing and she is EXTREMELY stylish and VERY chic

Really? Devil wears Prada? You couldn't come up with a better fake friend? Even the Meryl Streep character wouldn't be caught dead with that shit.

[quote] The boyfriend isn't really materialistic (or a label whore)--he's a designer

Hu? Designers are label creators, they live for that day their name is a label. They design things for mass markets to buy selling as many as they can. I am pretty sure materialism is part of his makeup.

I don't know about men adopting handbags. I mean, not even Lebron could pull it off.

[quote]his boyfriend is stopped a few times by strangers wanting to look at his bag, asking if it is real, etc.

It might be simplistic to answer but I just never go this. What's the point of spending so much for a status symbol only to have people think it might be fake?

As for a trunk coffee table, at least for small NY apartments, it takes up less floor space than a standard coffee table and it is extra storage. Not everyone has a the room.

"Gurlz. we're outta here!"

^"Men Want to Wear Purses, They Just Don’t Know It Yet"

Yass, honey!

[quote]What's the point of spending so much for a status symbol only to have people think it might be fake?

FYI:

Louis Vuitton No. 1 with counterfeiters — again June 6, 2019

Louis Vuitton products held the top spot for the second straight year — in luxury goods being counterfeited.

First, the good news.

Entrupy, a company that authenticates handbags and accessories for high-end producers, says in its first-ever “State of the Fake” report that overall 90 percent of the goods sold in 2018 were deemed authentic.

How is it good news that 10 percent of products were fake? Because only 85 percent passed the authenticity test in 2017, when 35,000 shipments of fakes were seized by the US government agencies.

So, things are improving.

Of the fakes that Entrupy identified, 50.9 percent were Louis Vuitton products. Gucci came in a distant second at 13.5 percent, and Chanel had third place at 12.3 percent.

Gucci and Chanel switched places on the list between 2017 and 2018, according to Entrupy.

Why is Louis Vuitton so beloved by counterfeiters? Entrupy says counterfeiters are “aided by the fact the brand has changed relatively little since its inception 150 years go.”

And because Louis Vuitton has produced “many of the same styles and uses the same materials decade after decade, bad actors (a.k.a counterfeiters) have had more time to develop near-perfect replicas.”

Are these bags.....uh plastic?

^Pretty much.

Just What Exactly Is Louis Vuitton’s Canvas Made of?

What exactly is coated canvas?

Louis Vuitton coated canvas is essentially a layer of cotton canvas that has been treated with the well-known plastic derivative PVC (polyvinylchloride).

There is an important distinction in how a Louis Vuitton coated canvas bag is made when compared to how your average fast fashion, high street handbag is made. The meticulous craftsmanship of the Louis Vuitton coated canvas bag is really where your investment lies. According to the company, an authentic Louis Vuitton bag or wallet goes through more than 100 stages of production before it is ready to hit the retail shelf.

But....

Is it true Louis Vuitton bags are just expensive plastic handbags?

Not true at all. The classic monogram is coated canvas. It is extremely durable and is water resistant. Coated Canvas is being used since the mid 1800’s having revolutionized the malletier craft with their lightweight and stackeable suitcases. there is nothing “plastic bag” about this and it has a lot of history to it. LV does not only have the classic monogram or the Damier Ebene canvas designs. They have many different types of leather as well.

And,

Well, no…this is not the case. Although most are only trimmed with leather, they are made with a very durable coated canvas which keeps your inventment going for a very long time. I will say Louis Vuitton is not my particular style, as a whole, a company that that been making high quality bags since the 1800’s, it seems a bit short-sided to say their bags are just “plastic.”

Pictured: Waterproof Tote Dry Bag Top-Handle Bags Shoulder Bag Pack PVC with Zipper and Pocket for Women for Girls Bulk Large Swimming Beach Gym Boating Diving Surfing Bathing Travel -- Price: $19.99 - $23.99

It all comes down to marketing. Making you believe something is worth the high price whether it is or isn't.

The best one I have seen is the one for "chocolate" diamonds. They sell them year after year. They are actually just brown diamonds but who would want to buy that?

Louis Vuitton celebrates the Neverfull with a new version of this iconic bag.

Natural cowhide leather trim

Golden color metallic pieces

PVC... OOPS! Louis Vuitton Leather...

$1,390.00

In stock!

[quote]The best one I have seen is the one for "chocolate" diamonds. They sell them year after year. They are actually just brown diamonds but who would want to buy that?

This is so funny to me OP. When I moved to NYC in 1989 I had never seen Louis Vuitton bags/luggage. But, I saw all the maids, fast food workers, medical workers and other assorted nobodies on the subways/buses all carrying them. I thought they were ugly and more importantly really cheap. They were for sale in little shitty stores and card table stands all over the 5 boroughs. It was about 5 years later that I learned that all these cheap, ugly looking bags the assorted riffraff were carrying were actually knock offs of a luxury brand

They still look cheap to me and so does Michael Kors. Although most of the Michael Kors stuff I see (all over the country) are actually tacky knockoffs, each with big gold MK icon adorned on it. And Coach products are shitty. I've bought 2 pairs of their shoes 2 years ago and each fell apart/worn out super quickly within 6 months of buying them. The leather actually got holes in it. Coach's products are so plain. You can buy reasonably priced knockoffs that are of the same quality or actually better

Cole Haan used to have great merchandise until they were bought out by Nike over a decade (maybe 2) ago. I still have original Cole Haan shoes and bags and they are fabulous

[quote] Here's a tip: try to form your own style and sense of fashion. Anybody with taste would avoid the LV monogram.

Yes. I agree. I would never own anything with a big monogram/label/icon on it

Garish, just garish!

[quote] When I moved to NYC in 1989 I had never seen Louis Vuitton bags/luggage. But, I saw all the maids, fast food workers, medical workers and other assorted nobodies on the subways/buses all carrying them. It was about 5 years later that I learned that all these cheap, ugly looking bags the assorted riffraff were carrying were actually knock offs of a luxury brand

I'm.... having issues with the above posting for some reason...

And, he has his bag too! Thank you, very much.

WTF is that Pic R165, with workers in the background with a semi hard on? where is that? Kind of proves the point up thread, LV is marketing to Ghetto types now.

[quote]Why is Louis Vuitton so beloved by counterfeiters? Entrupy says counterfeiters are “aided by the fact the brand has changed relatively little since its inception 150 years go.”

In other words, plastic bags are easy to make.

You can buy really good fakes in Mexico for 20 dollars, practically on every corner just over the boarder in Tijuana.

Go here, R166. It's the new rage.

Obviously they are ridiculous and monstrously overpriced. For suckers really. If you want real luxury cachet, and it’s still a insecure person’s mind trip, you get bespoke stuff from an excellent craftsperson.

No logos, just an excellence that can sometimes be recognised by other wankers in the same higher level mind trip.

By the way Hermes leather products, while stupendously over priced are generally very high quality. LV products, while also g overpriced are generally merely good quality. I have bought Hermes stuff and been reasonably satisfied.

I agree, R169. A person WILL recognize a very well crafted bag. This was a discussion that was happening in the Hermes thread too. Yes, a Hermes bag is well made but at the prices that they charge? I don't think so.

[quote]You will need a clever degrading snarky response when some queen confronts you about it [R81]. Those fake label queens need to be put into their place.

Nah. Just the sight of the garbage cans would be a conversation starter. But, I already know that every time I'll look at them myself I'll have an internal chuckle.

This project sees Louis Vuitton and Marc Newson work together on a new collaboration resulting in an innovative new range of rolling trunks for the 21st century traveller.

The trunk has at its core, a new type of self-reinforced polypropylene composite, essentially representing the structure of the trunk, moulded in a mesh matrix of several layers. Its exceptionally thin, lightweight and elastic characteristics can absorb shocks. Louis Vuitton’s emblematic Monogram canvas has been expressly developed for the luggage in a new ultra-light weight, a reduction of almost 50%, without compromising the original characteristic

Prices start at $3,100.

(caption this contest)

-I can afford it.

Adam Levine

I saw a mother and daughter carrying matching LV totes this morning. They both also had about 6” of black roots.

It’s hard to believe someone who can’t even afford highlights from a student at the local beauty schools, can afford LV.

Robert Sepúlveda Jr. @rsjdesign

🇵🇷 Activist Designer: fine jewelry, interiors, home fragrances Founder: @RSJcollection @ATLrc 🎥 @logotv @amazonprimevideo PR: rick@mw-pr(dot)com

Beautiful!

[quote], a new type of self-reinforced polypropylene composite,

Translation = Plastic

Robert Sepúlveda Jr.? Why would you want to look like a aging former male hustler?

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

MATERIAL GUIDE TO LOUIS VUITTON LEATHER

Sepulveda is hardly a "former" hustler.

LV is out. MCM is in.

Where i live (San Gabriel Valley) all the rich brats, kids of nouveau riche Chinese billionaires have MCM products.

Still plastic. Still expensive. But not as tacky looking...for now

^It's the exact same thing as LV but with different initials.

The company was founded in 1976 in Germany, named after its founder as Michael Cromer München. With a hint of Louis Vuitton about its repetitive patterns, the bags were popular in the 1980s, when Diana Ross used its suitcases on tour, while trunks were carried by obsequious porters on Dynasty as a signifier of wealth and success. By the 1990s, MCM had more than 250 stores across the world and its advertising campaigns, shot by Herb Ritts, featured Cindy Crawford naked but for an MCM bag. In the noughties, however, the business floundered, becoming mired in financial problems. Its founder was investigated for alleged tax evasion, fakes flooded the market and the brand's designs lost their appeal. For more than a decade, MCM was barely mentioned in western fashion circles at all.

MCM's salvation came from South Korea, one of the few places it had remained prominent, when the company that had licensed the brand – Sungjoo Group – acquired the business in 2005. Then, MCM's global sales stood at $100m (£60m). After changing the name (it is now known as Modern Creation München) and hiring Adidas global creative director Michael Michalsky to create sporty, dynamic, youthful designs, it boomed. In 2011 sales were reported as $400m; by 2013, $500m. This year, sales are forecast to hit $650m, with the company considering a stock market launch and projecting sales of $1.5bn within three or four years. Asia is the main market, by quite some stretch – China, Korea and Japan each contribute almost a third of MCM's revenue – but Europe is ripe for expansion, as the opening of a dedicated 105 sq m MCM boutique at Harrods last month, and a planned opening in Bond Street next year, attest.

According to the company's winningly titled chief visionary officer, Sung Joo Kim, its success so far has hinged on the understanding of major developments in the luxury market. First, she says, millennials "are born with computers, so they have a completely different approach to life and expect brands to be interactive and luxury to be functional". The rarefied world of traditional high-end stores "like temples, one-sided and arrogant – come and worship!" holds little appeal. Second, she says, "today, without exception, more than 60 or 70% of [luxury brands'] revenue is generated by the Asian market, or by those people who travel around the world. And in Asia the young generation, not the established older generation, are the movers and shakers." She calls these customers "21st-century global nomads" and says they do not, always, have a high income, although their parents might; but often they will save up for a piece of MCM – a new kind of luxury.

The brand has a ways to go. BUT. a GOOD start. This Company is more concerned about capitalizing on luxury pricing rather than promoting what quality craftsmanship it does have--if any.

The MCM canvas products are "meh" at best. My mother has a visetos tote in canvas, which runs a bit perpendicular to the Louis Vuitton neverfull, which she also has.

Instead of sending her neverfull in for maintenance, she bought the visetos.

I'm only comparing lv vs mcm because they both make coated canvas goods that are popular.

What I've noticed about mcm: the leather trimming can peel/crack/chip rather easily with normal wear, which I find rather concerning, given the prices.

The mcm canvas does feel more supple and softer than lv... Not as stiff. However, the canvas for mcm, in my opinion is thinner than lv's,(and probably not treated with same amount care in production) which lends to this. This makes me question how long the bags can retain their shape in general.

If you are ever thinking of resale, unless you have what would be a confirmed rare piece, don't bother- but it does allow for buying second hand rather easy and affordable.

The hardwear for mcm is not even comparable to lv.

Overall, mcm isn't bad, but it's not exactly in the realm of luxury. I'd say their products are priced maybe 25% higher than they should be.

I'd go for their all leather goods, compared to the canvas.

Just my opinion.

I have to give a nod to Zegna flatgoods. I have a pelle tessuta cellphone case that I have used daily for the past three or four years, in and out of my pocket many times each day, and absolutely no signs of wear. My Zegna wallet has shown the same durability. I only have one piece of Zegna luggage, a weekend bag, and have only used it a few times, but it also shows no signs of wear.

Gurl...

Luxury bags and such sad, cheap furniture at R191.

[quote]Well duh, once a brand has lost it's luster they always go ghetto for one more round of cash flow. Putting a black guy in charge is not rocket since. But I guess it is good branding if you want to sell to lower classes who think a PVC fake leather bag with a logo makes you important.

Unfortunately, there is some truth to the above statement. It's just my opinion, but I believe that black Americans are specifically groomed just to be consumers. So many things have been denied that race by this country that there is an untapped thirst that's just waiting to burst open.

LV is nothing but marketing now. It's a mass produced product that's on the same level as many other massed produced products. The company is now far too large and mass produce far too much product to maintain the level of quality and customer service that it once had. Smart people have picked up on this and have moved away from the brand many moons ago. But, there are still the desirous and thirsty ones that want it. It's crazy, (and quite funny) that you have those who are calling this crap a collection! LOL!

Take some time to look at her in the linked video--oh, it's a good one. You can't tell her NOTHIN', honey! As R192 pointed out, all of that money being spent on "luxury" items and yet, sad, cheap, furniture....

She really should be spending her money on a gym membership and using it!

MY GOD! that video, what shallow lives some people live.

Going Down?

I'm guessing with my pic above, if they are religious like it looks, that casket is going to have some "splaaining" to do in order to get through the eye of that needle.

I thought you were kidding, R195. But, apparently that coffin is real and was company sanctioned. (SMH!)

Are those caskets made of plastic too? LOL

Classy or Trashy... you decide.

Not ghetto at all.

The thrash can is hilarious though.

LV is basically the look beloved by drug dealers, hookers and whores.

Seriously, when I see someone with luggage or a bag with that look, my first thought is trash not class.

Brown condom, well that solves one problem.

Ha! I think that R199 is trashy BUT I love the ones in R53, R72

[quote]Seriously, when I see someone with luggage or a bag with that look, my first thought is trash not class.

(haleter!)

Ta maman!

I hate the look of the brown logo canvas. I've never understood the appeal. But they had an attractive line of solid color leather bags. I'd see those walking by the LV store in the Houston Galleria (III?), though I don't think I ever saw a person carrying one.

Louis Vuitton 2020 New collection

GARISH!

I don't think high fashion works for the "All-American" white guy the way it does in Europe. I feel like we have to play it safer to avoid looking too flamboyant or ridiculous. A nice suit and a gray or navy Damier LV gym duffle or small laptop holder can look nice if you truly have the money to blow 2K on a bag. If you are struggling and don't have fuck you money, it just looks tacky and too try hard. Black men and Asians can pull off the over the top label wearing to a certain extent, but I don't think it works otherwise. Goyard is kind of fun if you are going to go the flashy, overt route and not everyone knows what it is. YMF was right - when I look at a lot of luxury designers, the target markets seem to be Arabs/Middle Eastern and Asians. I think Tod's & Prada make some good, simple ready to wear pieces. LV does have some cool pieces, but they are usually the ultra expensive, limited edition/non signatue. I will say that LV does hold up. I had a few small pieces as a gayling that I still have and that shit went through the washing machine on hot and it still held up after. I remember asking a salesperson what the material was when I was teenager - they called it "Egyptian Cotton Leather" - ha! I do love the story of that queen who was willing to get shot over her bag. I like a gay who is willing to throw down for what they believe in, whatever that is. Good for him!

In terms of wages, I heard that the Chanel girls on Rodeo make 100K+ per year and had a friend at YSL who made around that amount. I'm surprised LV pay is so low.

[quote]I'm surprised LV pay is so low.

What?

I'm good....

R193. I stopped watching at the “Chanel sunnies”

Ya know... they do kind of... "grow" to one's liking after some time.

Lol at R157, "short-sided." This is one of the things that drives me nuts about "luxury" buyers. They consider themselves part of some elite society but then make stupid errors like that, which is anything but erudite and elite. "Me can afford Lou-eeee Vuttoon 'cause I got me some larning at the Vo-tech!" Whoever wrote that article/blurb regarding LV as being more than a plastic bag completely shattered their credibility with a lack of proofreading. Also what's up with a so many of these posts being written by, what I can only assume, are Filipino sex worker. R88 is fucking hilarious. Germany my furry fanny! More like Thai lady-boy get new bag from whore mother.

Recently I watched an older Comedy Central special with comedienne, Natasha Leggero. For those who don't know her, she's a comic whose on-stage persona is an uber-wealthy woman with a complete lack of awareness to the financial short-comings of others. One of her jokes was that she was sick of the "Hip-hop rich" whose "wealth" affords them the meager privilege of driving golf carts from their dining room to the kitchen and some opulent sports car. She then boasted that she was so wealthy she could afford to destroy an ocean (a la whatever oil company is destroying our oceans) and just simply write a check.

The above is really what Louis Vuitton and all other luxury clothing and accessory designers are. It's the low-hanging fruit of wealth demonstration. I realize it's a bit on the nose, but I actually grew up in an extremely wealthy part of the midwest; these people were fucking RICH (think major commodity producers, international grain distributors, heads of major brewing companies, owners of thousands of acres of land etc.). The fact is, these were people for whom a $2000+ bag is not only affordable, but it truly wouldn't even register as a meaningful purchase. There's "rich" people, and there's that group of people who are so exorbitantly well off that they wouldn't even really know something like Louis Vuitton because, really, it's just not that fancy to them. Basically, Louis Vuitton, while it is generally expensive and well-made, is really not all that expensive in the grand scheme of things (I could afford the bags when I was in my teens, and I certainly wasn't wealthy). If it's accessible, it's really not a luxury product. Louis Vuitton is basically high-end to kids and younger people (rich or poor). But once you get past a certain age and financial demographic, it really is just another thing on which to spend money.

Oh, and for the record, not a single person I saw carried an LV bag publicly, although I am sure many owned them.. Kieselstein Cord was a favorite though.

I found one at my local Goodwill...bought it for $5!

Shut up! Are you serious? I am envious of that.

R217 Yep, a beautiful purse - FIVE BUCKS!

the guy in the op is kinda great.

I miss the classic and understated oxblood Aigner or John Romain bags.

So, I believe that I met with a typical Trump supporter this morning. He's a CEO of a small cap company ($83MM--penny stock) who was actually a fast-talking west coaster (LA), who was very-well versed in shorting stock, short-sellers, stock promotion, etc--used car salesman type. So, I met him in his hotel room (or, suite) at Trump Tower Columbus Circle... the suite was VERY UNIMPRESSIVE! I've seen 2 star hotels better furnished. Even the lobby was nothing impressive. But, the hotel is labeled "Trump" and I suppose that is all that mattered.

IMHO, anyone who is choosing to stay at a Trump property in this day and age is probably a Trump supporter. Anyway, I guess he is traveling with his wife or girlfriend because I heard a female voice in the adjoining room. As I entered the space what did I see on the entry hall table? A LV purse. I just sighed and said to myself; "O-Kay..."

Bernard Arnault, the insatiable appetite of the luxury slayer

Arnault ended 2019 by sealing his latest major deal, the largest in its history: the purchase of Tiffany for 14.7 billion euros (16.3 billion dollars).

If you want it, go for it. Bernard Arnault is a man who is known in business as a slayer, a slender Gordon Gekko, dressed in Dior’s navy suit, but with a matching fierce appetite and determination.

“Sometimes he adjusts a bag on a shelf five centimeters,” his son Antoine Arnault explained in an interview with Forbes. “At ten o’clock at night, he is still going at it, he has incredible source of energy.” In 2019, Arnault sealed his last major deal, the largest in its history: the purchase of Tiffany for 14.7 billion euros (16.3 billion dollars). That said, his buyer appetite began to take shape much earlier on, in the family company itself.

The businessman, today the richest man in France, was born in 1949 in the industrial city of Roubaix (France). After obtaining a degree in engineering, he joined his father’s company, Ferret-Savinel, and convinced him to sell the construction division. Only six years after graduating, he succeeded as president and six years later he made his first purchase in the luxury sector, Financière Agache.

In the eighties he faced his first failure, when he unsuccessfully tried to inaugurate a subsidiary of the family company in the United States. The project did not go ahead, but from that experience he learned the aggressive American commercial tactics, ones he would later apply in the construction of his own empire: LVMH.

In 1984, Arnault joined Saint Frères to seize Boussac, a French group in crisis that at the time controlled Dior among other brands. In just two years, Arnault laid off 9,000 employees and sold Boussac’s other businesses to keep the crown jewel.

It was the first step to his now empire that reaches sales over 46 billion euros (51 billion dollars) and includes brands such as Louis Vuitton, Sephora, Loewe, Céline or Balenciaga, as well as liquors, jewelry and perfume shops. There are only a handful of absentees in his frantic shopping domain: the auction company Sotheby’s, Gucci, which ended up in the hands of his great rival, François-Henri Pinault; and Hermès, after failing a hostile bid vetoed by the French authorities.

A Chopin lover and a pianist amateur, Arnault has been married twice. From his first marriage, with Anne Dewavrin, he has two children, Delphine and Antoine, both with executive positions in the company and candidates to succeed him at the head of LVMH, although the passing of the torch is a taboo for the French mogul. A year after divorcing in 1991, Arnault married Canadian pianist Hélène Mercier. With her, he has three other children: Alexandre, CEO of Rimowa; Fréderic, digital director of Tag Heuer, and Jean, who is twenty years old and has not joined the company yet.

He's entertaining.

.....

MMPH... I declare!

(eyes widen)

That guy at the OP should've saved that money for ablative and fraxel laser.

Hmm... I like.

Appropriately attired

I have a couple but I hate the plain monograms that scream LV. I love his Cherry Blossom collection. Most of the time I carry a simple cheap $20 bag, not one of these

^^ ^^ LV Damier Carlton, Damier Papillion, cherry blossom papillion, cherry blossom Sac retro, Epi wallet ^^^^

Continuing my segment on luxury businesses, today's video focuses on LVMH's (Louis Vuitton's parent company) recent earnings call where they walk through the impacts of store closures and the overall economy on their business for the first quarter of 2020.

Andre Leon Talley

MMPH.....

They aren't all hideous...my Mahine Luna