Louis Vuitton Rides a New Wave

You might have been busy at the beach and missed it, but Louis Vuitton just introduced a new handbag collection – the “New Wave.” Funnily enough, neither the bag nor the name seems related to the ocean. Rather, New Wave could be seen as a nod to Louis Vuitton’s recently-anointed designer Virgil Abloh (although it is not his creation) or a throwback to 80s style. However, the actual roots of the collection go further back: according to Louis Vuitton, it was inspired by a trunk in its archives with wavy stripes decorating the classic monogram print. Oh yes, that trunk also holds 12 pairs of shoes. And, on a different note, New Wave also refers to the music genre born around the 1980s “epitomizing a disruptive attitude, distinctive fashion trends and all-around cool.”

In this collection, Louis Vuitton has taken supple calf leather and quilted it in a wave motif on it’s Chain bag and Chain tote. The pattern is supposed to evoke the dynamics that propel us forward. The LV metallic closure is in the latest style. Notice the multicolored “Vuitton” written prominently on the bags, evoking comparisons perhaps to a rainbow.

The shape of the chain bag (a flap like purse) mirrors the wavy quilting itself, as you notice the bottom of the bag is not flat. The tote, on the other hand, appears to have a more conventional shape.

For now, the chain bag in small and medium comes in Malibu Green (a teal/turquoise shade), Deep Black Noir, Smoothie Pink (a light shade), Scarlet red Ecarlate and Soft White Snow. The tote is shown in black, red and white. More colors are expected in the fall.

The new wave bags fall neatly in the $2K range (read 10 Must-Have Bags Under $2,000 ) with the small chain just under that mark at $1990, the medium chain just over at about $2270 and the tote around $2700.