Iconic French fashion house Louis Vuitton has launched a new design based on a paper sandwich bag, but some are finding the price a little hard to digest…
If you looked at your lunch today and thought it was missing a little something, I might just have the solution for you – if you’ve got $3,000 lying around, that is. Instead of the usual appeal to aspirational lifestyles and luxurious habits, Louis Vuitton has pitched its latest show-stopper product to a more mundane aspect of everyday life. The ‘Sandwich Bag’, which launched on 4th January exclusively in the pop-up store in West Hollywood, retails at $3,130.
When did we first see the bag?
The bag was first worn by runway model Anna Ewers in Paris Fashion Week last year. It is part of Louis Vuitton’s Spring/Summer 2024 collection, designed by music producer Pharrell Williams.
Instead of being made of paper, the bag is manufactured from luxury cowhide leather in “exactly the same color as the House’s famed shopping bags.” It features the iconic Louis Vuitton branding halfway down, as well as a blue fastening in the style of a lunch bag. Inside, the design includes “a zipped pocket and a double flat pocket to keep things organized.”
What are people saying about it?
The internet has not disappointed in its reactions to this unusual product. One X (Twitter) user commented asking if it came with ‘unlimited sandwiches for life’ to justify the price, whilst another lamented that fashion houses ‘aren’t even trying anymore.’
so you're telling me that i get a sandwich bag worth $5 everyday at mcdonalds???
— hippo (@baeeeeeman) January 16, 2024
Others pointed out that other brands like Carhartt and Yves Saint Laurent have already got their own versions of paper bag-inspired products.
Hasn’t this happened before?
This is not the first time Louis Vuitton has paid homage to a simple, everyday object. A bag resembling a plastic chequered laundry sack featured in the Spring-Summer 2007, and as recently as 2022, they launched a cross-body paint can bag (now a collector’s item).
Other fashion houses have also followed this trend. Balenciaga launched a blue canvas bag in 2017 that looked suspiciously like the famed IKEA ‘frakta’ bags. At least IKEA responded with a sense of humor, launching an advertising campaign on ‘How to identify a real IKEA frakta bag’ rather than a lawsuit. They also pointed out on social media that their original bag cost $0.99 – $1694 less than Balanciaga’s version.
By basing their design on their own shopping bags, Louis Vuitton has hopefully avoided this fate, though consumers might still gawp at the price tag.
