iMADGEine this...

according to Style.Com, Madonna could possibly be the face of Louis Vuitton's Spring/Summer 2009 advertising campaign:

© style.com

it may sound like an unlikely match, but Madonna's one of those credited for the Murakami craze that hit the world back in 2003. she was one of the first to be seen carrying a Multicolour Alma. most recently she's been toting a Richard Prince Monogram Pulp Weekender.

i've been expecting they would pick another celebrity for their next ad campaign. they have been alternating between celebrities and supermodels for five years now:

Spring 2003: Eva Herzigova
Fall 2003: Jennifer Lopez
Spring 2004: Karen Elson, Naomi Campbell, Amber Valleta, Kate Moss and Angela Lindvall
Fall 2004: Diane Krueger, Christina Ricci, Chloé Sevigny and Scarlett Johansson
Spring & Fall 2005: Uma Thurman
Spring & Fall 2006: Giselle Bundchen (S/S), Naomi Campbell, Daria Werbowy and Kate Moss (F/W).
Spring & Fall 2007: Scarlett Johansson
Spring & Fall 2008: Claudia Schiffer, Stephanie Seymour, Naomi Campbell, Angela Lindvall (S/S) and Eva Herzigova (F/W).

i was hoping to see Chloé Sevigny once more. or even Sofia Coppola to front their fashion campaign this time since she's collaborating a line of bags and accessories to be released next year. ok, im not a big Madonna fan. none of her music has appealed to me since Bedtime Stories and Ray of Light. but if the campaign photos are done well - which im sure they will be - i think it might turn out to be a good thing in the end.

you can read the original style.com article HERE.

should've, could've, would've...

i just hate it when i finally realize i want something too late.

case in point: the Monogramouflage Stole

i had the chance to get one when they came out. but for Au$900+ i wasn't too keen to shell out that much for something that's prone to snagging. plus im just not sure if i could pull it off. being called a "stole" wasn't helping and all i've seen were photos of women wearing it. here's Miss Fenty looking pretty hip:

then photos of guys wearing it finally started popping up. this one is from a Japanese magazine:




even the (in)famous Balthazar Getty has jumped in on the Mono'flage LoVe too:




but now a $900 scarf doesn't seem too exxy when the only other Monogramouflage item i have my eye on is this reversible jacket:




that's in US$ by the way. and the deadstockdon was one of the first to snap one up:




with the Castlereagh St boutique in Sydney the only boutique in the country that sell their RTW, im sure these jackets all sold out by now.


oh well... i will just have to be content my Treillis.

falling in LaVa

here's another little trinket i've just received from the manager of the LV Crown Casino boutique:




its called the Boîte Fragrance

contained inside this white alabaster box quarried from Tuscany are volcanic stones from the same Italian region delicately infused with fig tree sap.

the fragrance "evokes memories of Mediterranean aromas" and recalls the Southern French region of Grasse, the center of the French perfume industry and is known as the world's perfume capital. designed as a fragrance diffuser for your wardrobe or linen closet, it gives off a very light scent that seems like a mix between incense, sandalwood, leather and roses. just LoVely!!!

fashionable luggaging with Viktor & Rolf

back in November 2007 the venerable Suzy Menkes broke the news that my favourite fashion duo Viktor & Rolf are designing a line of suitcases and travel accessories for Samsonite Black Label. i couldn't wait to see what they would come up with. based on the success of their collaboration with H&M, i was expecting something functional and wearable but still in keeping with their signature whimsical and tailored designs. though we're an LV loving family, our luggage of choice has always been Samsonite. so this particular combo of V&R x Samsonite is something that really excites me.

at long last they were finally unveiled last Thursday 30 October in a fashion show held at Madrid's Real Fábrica de Tapices. en hier zijn zij:

and here's a sneak peek of the show:

to be released worldwide on March 2009, the collection "features playful, graphic airplane repeats, patent trims, bows and purse clasp details in scarlet, sky blue and black". it will also include beauty cases, boarding bags and travel totes. im loving the black collection, the one above reminds me of Globe Trotter suitcases. but the less rigid versions are typically Samsonite. certainly beats Alexander McQueen's "WTF is that?" designs for the American luggage company. im curious to see the blue airplane patterns too. more photos will soon pop up for sure. i'll be keeping an eye out for these.

muchos gracias a Vogue España y Elmundo.es.

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.