LV Men's S/S '09 SCOOP!!!

i have just found out new info on the upcoming Spring/Summer 2009 collection....

a fellow blogger - freshmess - has been wondering about this lapel pin:

im pleased to inform him that its actually in the shape of a blazer or suit jacket seen from the side or hanging from a hook. there's also a possibility that these would be sold separately.

i was also stumped about these two bags:

at first i thought they were made of Taiga, but its actually a new Utah leather colour: petrol! i've been wishing for navy blue Taiga, but i think blue Utah would be just as good.

and i was right about the beige suede Papillon shaped duffle bag:

this and the blue Siwa leather version on the right will be their Spring '09 Pre Collection. simply called "Sac Sport", these are based on the discontinued Sac Polochon and are due to arrive around mid December or early January. the suede would retail for AU$3970 while the Siwa would be AU$4200. *OUCH!* i had my sights set on the suede but with that sort of price point, i might have to rethink my selection.

with our Aussie $ at an all-time low, i might have to settle for the littlest bag on the show:

i can just imagine the larger all-leather totes and overnighters seen on the runway would be even more prohibitively exxy.

*le sigh*

for more photos including my original review of the men's LV S/S'09 show can be seen HERE and if you like to read more about Siwa leather, click HERE.

photos from men.style.com.

prints ahoy!

its been a while since Gucci made a bag that truly piqued my interest. for their Cruise 2009 collection, they're doing a nautical theme and created a new tattoo print:



i really like this new bag design. its got ample space to become one of my pack mules and the double handles that seem long enough for shoulder carry when you don't feel like slinging it on by the braided leather shoulder strap.


they've also transferred this print onto leather and made this fantastic pair of shoes:



its also available in white, but the tan puts the tattoo print into full effect.

it is this enameled belt buckle that tops my current Gucci wish list:




bold and a bit quirky... definitely way up my alley.

i think a visit to my local Gucci boutique today is imperative.


thanks to bagaholicboy for the head's up!


photos: Gucci

LoVe in Auckland

a reader sent me photos of the new LV Auckland boutique which opened last June:



i've never been to New Zealand before, but its on the list. thanks for sharing densy2oo5 =)


how does your local LV look like? send your photos to uncreated@yahoo.com.

beyond brilliant

Louis Vuitton has just released photos of their most extravagant fine jewellery set to date: Les Ardentes

designed by Anne Cabarbaye, this one-of-a-kind parrure - comprising a ring, bracelet, earrings and necklace - is making its way to every LV Maison and Global store around the world to tempt their top most tier clients into surrendering their chequebooks to its brillince. they're not just any diamond set jewellery. each stone is cut specially to mimic the house's iconic quatrefoils. with 66 to 77 different facets, these unique LV diamonds outshine the traditional briliant or conventional princess cut diamonds.

approximate prices in Australian dollars: earrings will cost $570,000, a serious $1.9 million for the bracelet, and the multi-strand necklace will pull in a cool $4.7 million. *GASP*

source: Harper's Bazaar Australia (Nov 2008).

a mini makeover

for this little lady:

139 Collins St. Melbourne is currently undergoing renovations. i was hoping for giant suitcases covering the façade like they usually do. though Keith still makes quite an impact on this prime commercial location nonetheless.

since the Grand Hyatt which surrounds this heritage listed building is having a major overhaul, LV management decided that it also needed a little freshening-up since it last had a refurbish back in 2000. i was told they're simply doing a slight change of the floor plan to accommodate the new fine jewellery display (probably installing a bigger safe and beefing up security). sadly, they won't be turning the boutique into a global store with men's and women's RTW. Sydney's Castlereagh St store still holds that sole privilege. though i also heard that the boutique will now have a special "suite" for their most valued clients to shop in private and peace.

they've been operating in this temporary space just down the street since August.

the Collins St boutique - which opened in 1989 if im not mistaken - is actually the first LV store to open in Australia. its scheduled to reopen by the end of November. sounds like another good excuse for a party!

SC+LV

the International Herald Tribune just released a sneak peek of Sofia Coppola's collaborative bag for Louis Vuitton:




hmmm... looks like a customized Keepall Bandoulière to me. i've always imagined she would design a collection that would be practical, simple and chic just like her. and by the looks of it, it can even be unisex.

here's an excerpt of the article by the venerable Suzy Menkes:

"Coppola was inspired by a trip to Louis Vuitton's original home in Asnières, on the outskirts of Paris. Working with the special order department, she took up the challenge of designing "the perfect bag that doesn't exist." Coppola wanted a day bag that was "chic, discreet and lightweight and that isn't enormous," adding that "it is hard to find bag without a lot of hardware." She opens the roomy bag (selling in the monogram version* at €1,600, or about $2,190), showing how there is an open pocket enabling her to grab her telephone. The evening clutch (€800), with its pochette containing a mirror, is "a thing I wanted for myself."

*seems like the calfskin version pictured is Sofia's personal one-off special order. for everybody else it will be in Monogram canvas. i could be wrong though. but its still not bad methinks.

you can read the entire article HERE

the collection will be launched on 5 December in Tokyo, then the rest of the world in March 2009. im really looking forward to seeing this IRL.

they did it once again....

yet another fantastic coup: Louis Vuitton has snagged Sir Sean Connery for their newest Core Values ad campaign:

"There are journeys that turn into legends. Bahamas islands, 10:07"

his famous mug will be seen in all major glossies by the end of this month. he posed for Annie Leibovitz on behalf of Al Gore's Climate Change Project which LV has donated his talent fee to. other Core Value spokespersons in the past include: Francis Ford and Sofia Coppola, Keith Richards, Andre Agassi and his wife Steffi Graf, Catherine Deneuve and Mikhail Gorbachev. who could be next?

set in his holiday home in the Bahamas, it also features the Monogram Waterproof Keepall:

released around this time last year, i love how the traditional brown Monogram Canvas is contrasted with black trim and silver hardware. it looks rather dark and brooding, very masculine:

designed for their seafaring clientele, it is completely devoid of any leather. the polyamide/polyurethane strap and handles are permanently heat welded onto the canvas instead of stitched. avoiding any more holes to the body:

it was so watertight that the SA struggled to unzip it. he literally had to yank it loose.

they have done it in the past, but with black leather trim done the traditional way instead. this unusual combination first appeared for F/W 2004:

and they also released a strictly limited Carryall for the 2006 FIFA World Cup only sold in Germany. wouldn't if be great if they decide to do a separate permanent line especially geared towards us guys?

photos courtesy of: Louis Vuitton, Chuvaness,Men.Style.Com and Rakuten.

very clever

here's an interesting little article from style.com

nothing beats a freebie. especially when they're one-off pieces gleaned directly off the catwalk. they're now destined to be the "it" shoe for next season. though to be honest, im not really feeling the feathers and beads seen throughout the show. maybe its just me. im hoping it's just styled that way for maximum impact and will eventually be watered-down when they hit the stores early next year. some pieces do show potential.

im pretty happy with the "plainess" of their Men's S/S'09 collection. that's where im getting my LV fix from anyway ;-)