Tokyo anyone???

the much blogged and highly anticipated collaboration between the king of luxury and the queen of avant-garde fashion has come. such an unlikely coupling, but it sure has the makings of another huge commercial hit.

here's the press release in the off chance some readers haven't the slightest clue:

"On September 4, 2008, Louis Vuitton opens an impermanent store inside Comme des Garçons in Tokyo. The idea for the project emerged from the memories of Comme des Garçons founder Rei Kawakubo. In 1978, as a young designer, she saw the first Louis Vuitton store to open in Japan and was fascinated by the image of French craftsmanship and art de vivre it projected – a luxury that seemed to her, at the time, unattainable. Three decades on, Rei Kawakubo wanted to revisit her impressions, and so the association between Comme des Garçons and Louis Vuitton was born.

Intriguingly, Louis Vuitton is celebrating this year its 30th anniversary in Japan. Rei Kawakubo has dedicated and re-designed the entire Comme des Garcons store on Kottodori, Omotesando especially for Louis Vuitton for the duration of the project, from 4th September through mid-December, into a space that will be a celebration of the Louis Vuitton Monogram. The fruit of this unprecedented collaboration – an exclusive collection of six one-off bags – will be presented in a minimalist space, at the centre of which will be a display of historic Louis Vuitton trunks. Inspired by her memories, Rei Kawakubo chose the legendary Monogram canvas to create two Party bags, small evening purses with outsized natural leather handles. The designer also customized two classic Louis Vuitton bags, endowing the Papillon with kawaii (cute) animal charms and the Mini HL with multiple slender handles. Lastly, Louis Vuitton is reediting two iconic designs from the 1970s – the Petit Marceau and the Sac 2 Poches – which Rei Kawakubo is likely to have seen in the windows of that first Louis Vuitton store.

The bags will only be available upon order, which is only to be placed at the “Louis Vuitton at Comme des Garçons store”. No telephone or Internet orders will be taken. In return, customers will receive a certificate inside a special card holder in Louis Vuitton’s traditional natural leather, embossed with the Louis Vuitton at Comme des Garçons signature. Only several months later will their bag be delivered to their chosen Louis Vuitton store. Other iconic Louis Vuitton Monogram bags, such as the Speedy and Alma chosen by Rei Kawakubo, will also be on display and available for immediate sale inside this special 'Louis Vuitton at Comme des Garçons' store."

here are the bags:










i know to most these bags aren't that impressive. it doesn't have all the bells and whistles a Richard Prince or Takashi Murakami collaboration does. but they're unmistakably Rei Kawakubo: pared down and offbeat. not to everyone's taste. but to Rei's legions of followers and LV Collectors alike, these bags would be highly desirable. i for one would LOVE to own the multi-handled Mini Speedy:








to me its more like a piece of art than an actual bag. i can just picture it inside a little glass vitrine with its own spotlight. but i don't see why it can't be used. the outermost loop seems long enough for shoulder carry. but you can also hand carry it with the smallest loop with the rest of the handles folded down like bee's wings. very cute. now if only i had the means and the time to fly to Tokyo...



SOURCES: Nitro:licious, Louis Vuitton