AnOther Loves: A Monogram Mini

In the 60s, Audrey Hepburn requested for the Louis Vuitton monogram Express bag to be shrunk by a couple of inches and the Speedy was born, epitomising a world on the move. Today, with our daily needs becoming ever more diminutive, it’s even smaller

As evidenced in his New York Cruise show, devoted to pop art and pop culture alike, universality is an idea that fascinates Nicolas Ghesquière. It’s understandable, given that he designs for Louis Vuitton, a house whose monogram is one of the most recognised emblems on the planet. Invented in 1896 and printed on waterproofed canvas, that motif was, ironically, originally intended to thwart endemic copying of the checkered and striped trunks that had hitherto been its hallmarks. In the ensuing 130 years, that monogram has become probably the most counterfeited logo on the planet – and includes a raft of multiscale, multicolour remixes devised by Vuitton itself, constantly reinventing the LV-pocked canvas afresh. For this milestone birthday, the house created a variation it calls Monogram Origine – which connects with the sketchy iteration of the monogram, like an original line-drawing on rough canvas. Here, that new-old canvas is crafted into a throwback shape, the Speedy, a silhouette tracing its origins back to 1930, when it was called ‘Express’ and epitomised a world newly on the move. In the 60s, Audrey Hepburn requested for the 30cm Express to be shrunk by a couple of inches, and the Speedy was born. Today, with our daily needs becoming ever more diminutive, it is offered in a dinky 20cm version. Good things, small packages, yadda yadda. 

 The Louis Vuitton Speedy Bandoulière 20 Bag is available to buy now.