In Love with Louis Vuitton Speedy Bandouliere

I know some of you have problems carrying the iconic Speedy because of its shape. Without the frame, the Speedy bag just sags down and does not hold up. Some even has complaints about it not looking like a bag at all. 

This is not going to be a problem if it has a shoulder strap attached to it. Check how the girl is carrying this bag below: 

The new Speedy is called the Speedy Bandouliere, released in June 2011, but has made a great success recently. According to Smart Handbags, this collection has topped the best selling chart in the last 2 quarters. 

The introduction of a new Louis Vuitton Speedy is always the cause for celebration among handbag friends, and we think that this particular bag will be of wide interest. The Louis Vuitton Speedy Bandouliere is similar to the monogram Speedy that we all know and love, but it brings with it the thoroughly modern addition of an integrated shoulder strap. Optional straps have long been available for purchase to clip onto the traditional Speedy’s handle attachments, but this dedicated strap brings with it a design logic that is lacking in a simple add-on.

Available in all 4 sizes, Louis Vuitton has priced them about $300 more than the traditional Speedy, but $300 for an extra shoulder strap, isn't it too expensive? 

• Monogram Speedy Bandouliere 25 – $1065
• Monogram Speedy Bandouliere 30 – $1090
• Monogram Speedy Bandouliere 35 – $1115
• Monogram Speedy Bandouliere 40 – $1140

PS: This bag is also available in Damier Ebene canvas, but only in 3 sizes: 25CM, 30CM, and 35CM. Louis Vuitton does not make a 40CM Damier Speedy Bandouliere, if you happen to find one online, it's most probably a fake item. 

Louis Vuitton Speedy: A Story

Impossible though it may be now to imagine, this icon among icons was not always called the Speedy. Born in the 1930s, the little sister of the legendary Keepall was originally christened the “Express”, in reference to that era’s passion for new and faster means of transportation.

It even, for a time, bore the name “Vernet”, after a street near Louis Vuitton’s home in Paris. Neither suited it quite so well as “Speedy”, the name by which it is now affectionately known at the four corners of the globe.

The Speedy 25 has a particularly fascinating history. In 1965, Audrey Hepburn, a loyal Louis Vuitton customer, asked Henri-Louis Vuitton to create a smaller version of the Speedy as a Special Order. The Speedy 25 became a constant companion of this most stylish of stars, as it has for countless women since.

Louis Vuitton Monogram Empreinte Speedy 25 Bandouliere

From Monogram to Monogram Empreinte, from canvas to leather… The journey made by Louis Vuitton’s celebrated Speedy bag is short but significant. The Speedy 25 Bandoulière, the smallest version of the Speedy with its recently added shoulder strap, is now available in Monogram Empreinte – the first icon to join this subtly sophisticated calf leather line, whose embossed Monogram pattern is the symbolic imprint of Louis Vuitton’s heritage and craftsmanship.

The arrival of the Speedy, the original and quintessential city bag, represents the consecration of Monogram Empreinte, a collection at once classic and contemporary, young in spirit yet chic at any age. While retaining its iconic shape, the Speedy 25 Bandoulière has acquired new details that are typically Monogram Empreinte, notably outsize zipper pulls and bold brass rivets. Diminutive yet deceptively spacious, as versatile as it is stylish, the Speedy 25 Bandoulière can be worn in different ways: casually slung across the body or draped gracefully over the shoulder on its adjustable, detachable shoulder strap, or else carried in the hand or hooked over the arm by its emblematic Toron handles.

To the four existing colours of Monogram Empreinte – Infini, a deep midnight blue; Orient, a burnt orange; Aube, a dark violet; Aurore, a rich raspberry – the Speedy 25 Bandoulière adds a fifth: Terre, a warm chocolate brown that is another discreet yet distinctive reminder of the history of Louis Vuitton.

Monogram Empreinte Speedy 25 Bandoulière is available at Louis Vuitton stores for approx. US$2370.

Artsy Released in Damier Azur Canvas

I guess everybody who has an eye for fashion knows which is the most popular bag in 2010-2012. Undoubtedly, it’s the Artsy from Louis Vuitton. You can see it everywhere, on the streets, in the shopping mall, under the ground for a metro trip, replica or authentic, it’s a bag that most people want, and the rest would rather go for a different model as everybody else is carrying it, despite the fact that they might also want one.

The other day I ran into Louis Vuitton store today and found Artsy released in a different pattern, the Damier Azur canvas. It looks refreshing and feminine. Adorned with shiny golden brass and a chic bag charm, its exquisite handcrafted leather handle adds a luxurious crowning touch.