Louis Vuitton microscopic handbag

More and more often in the fashion industry we see brands experimenting with their product. Among other things, we hear about the record sales of Balenciaga’s now-famous, “Full Destroyed” model – which is simply a pair of dirty, worn-out sneakers. We are witnessing how the boundary of what fashion really is is constantly shifting. One such innovation we have recently experienced is the Measuring less than 0.03 inches wide, the microscopic Louis Vuitton handbag. The handbag, although controversial in its format, was sold at auction for more than $60,000. So the debate has heated up once again in the media, over what remains a fascinating novelty and what remains a false marketing ploy?

Creative experiment

Wanting to create a product like never before, Louis Vuitton partnered with an American creative company known for creating unconventional and innovative designs. MSCHF, for that is the company’s acronym, combines elements of art, fashion, pop culture and technological innovation in its operations. Their projects are often provocative and provoke discussion in the media world. One of the more famous was the “The Holy Bible” project. As part of it, the group created a limited series of Nike Air Max 97 sports shoes. From the classic model, the shoes differed only in that they had pages of the Bible pasted on the soles.

The choice of this art collective is undoubtedly an interesting move on the part of the luxury fashion house. Kevin Wiesner, creative director of MSCHF, himself stated that he considers the “bag” to be a “a fun object because it derives from something rigorously functional”.. The brand explains that it wanted to change the traditional concept of a handbag and reduce it to a jewelry function. In fact, the size of the microscopic Louis Vuitton handbag resembles jewelry, but how is it with this functionality?

Louis Vuitton microscopic handbag- what was the process of creating it like?

MSCHF Group named its work “Microscopic Handbag”. (a microscopic Luis Vuitton bag), claims to be narrow enough to pass through a needle’s eye and is smaller than a grain of sea salt. Barely visible to the human eye, the fluorescent yellow-green bag is based on Louis Vuitton’s popular design, the famous OnTheGo bag. It was made using two-photon polymerization, a manufacturing technology used to 3D print plastic parts on a microscale. It was specially sold with a microscope equipped with a digital display, through which the bag could be seen in a slightly larger format. Only then was the distinctive “LV” monogram revealed on its surface.

The, “OnTheGo” bag model itself has the structure of a tote bag, which is a large bag carried on the shoulder. It is characterized by rectangular shape and is made of high-quality leather or material monogrammed with the Louis Vuitton brand. The bag has a roomy zippered main compartment and often also has interior pockets to help organize the contents. It is popular for its capacity, stylish design and recognizable Louis Vuitton brand details, such as. distinctive monograms, Damier designs or natural leather details.

A small bag and a big price tag

Currently, the,,OnTheGo” bag sells for between $3100 and $4300 in its full size. However, a microscopic version of it, auctioned by the Joopiter, the online auction house founded by Pharrell Williams, was sold for $63,750. The difference in price caused quite a storm online. Internet users outraged by the absurd amount, for such an impractical item spoke in the media not very favorably about the fashion house’s latest concept.

“As a once-functional object such as a handbag becomes smaller and smaller, its status as an object becomes more and more abstract, until it becomes purely a brand mark. Previously small leather handbags still required a hand to carry them – they became dysfunctional, uncomfortable for their “user.” Microscopic Handbag takes this to its logical conclusion. A practical object is reduced to jewelry, and all its supposed function evaporates; In the case of luxury items, utility is the angels’ share” – wrote the brand, in response to any negative comments toward the new product.

So it seems that the microscopic handbag is a nod to innovation and technological innovations. It has also certainly become the subject of a lively discussion on fashion functionality, which has been going on for more than a day. Perhaps Louis Vuitton wants to show with this product that the line between what is fashionable is shifting with consumer preferences. And in the end, someone bought this tiny handbag and paid a not inconsiderable amount for it.