The Louis Vuitton x Murakami re-edition collection which dropped early this year sent the fashion world abuzz. Sure, the new collection — in all its splashy rainbow glory and with pop culture queen Zendaya as the face of the campaign — merits plenty of attention on its own, but for those who *actually* remember its first iteration two decades ago, its revival means so much more.
First launched in the spring of 2003 under Marc Jacobs, then the pioneering creative director of Louis Vuitton, fashion lovers of that time would recall how the collaboration with legendary Japanese artist Takashi Murakami caused quite a stir.
Let's not forget, this was 20 years ago, and while fashion x art collabs are a dime a dozen today, Louis Vuitton was one of the first to marry the two worlds on a luxury commercial scale. Then there was the fact that it was the first time in history Louis Vuitton's logo was altered to create the rainbow spin on the classic monogram that's still so beloved today. ‘Iconic’ is a heavily overused word, but the collection was truly, well, iconic.
“I was around 7 or 8 when the original Louis Vuitton x Murakami collaboration came out, and I remember that it was all my mum and sister-in-law would talk about for ages,” recalls Georgia Trodd, GLAMOUR's Senior Commerce Writer. “My mum had the multicolour Alma top-handle and she would not put it down. It was a status symbol.”
But the collaboration's popularity went stratospheric when it began cropping up on the arms of the era's hottest celebrities – and Noughties fashion icons from Paris Hilton to Nicole Richie – even making cameos in cult '00s romcoms. “I remember spotting the Cherry Blossom Pochette in the Mean Girls movie, which helped cement its status as the ultimate ‘it’ bag of the era,” says Hanushka Toni, founder & CEO of luxury pre-loved retailer Sellier.
Its runaway popularity, however, also meant it became one of the most duped collections in history, its distinctive design making it a prime target for counterfeiters. Even today, the notorious handbag hawkers on New York City's Canal Street are still riding the wave of the first collection.
But this is perhaps why, 22 years later, Louis Vuitton has decided to re-release the style. “In my experience, brands combat dupes by emphasising authenticity through exclusive packaging, serial codes, and collaborations with authentication services,” says Hanushka. “To bounce back from heavy copying, they focus on re-editions or limited releases to reignite interest and remind consumers of the product’s original quality, craftsmanship, and cultural relevance. This strategy is particularly relevant in light of the Murakami re-edition and accompanying pop-up store in Soho, where they’re offering complimentary repair services for the original collection.”
Indeed, Louis Vuitton's London pop-up – open until February 9th – houses not only the first drop of the re-edition, which includes the Monogram Multicolore and Superflat items, but also a café with fluffy Murakami sunflower cushions, a toy claw machine and a repair service where clients can bring their original pieces to be repainted or refurbished.
The timing of this re-edition is anything but arbitrary. Aligning perfectly with the resurgence of all things Y2K – and Gen Z's insatiable appetite for vintage and pre-loved cult fashion items, this re-edition is peak luxury nostalgia. “Already as popular as its now-vintage counterpart, searches for the collection globally have increased by nearly 290% with UK searches alone increasing 170% as shoppers search to own a pre-loved or new piece on eBay approximately 3.5 times a minute globally,” says Mari Corella, eBay’s general manager of luxury.
It also offers shoppers who did not have the means to indulge in the collection when it first came out another opportunity to purchase this era-defining collab. “I loved it back then but it was out of reach for me; I was a student and not able to afford the luxury bags back then, ” says Lisa Marinelli, a lawyer and content creator, though she admits she still prefers the vintage version and recently obtained the cherry-adorned Speedy bag on eBay. “I love it now, but I love it even more that it belonged to someone else and had a wonderful story attached to it," she says.
The genius of this re-release lies in how it speaks to shoppers across the generational divide. Our mothers and grandmothers, excited by the sense of nostalgia stirred up by the kaleidoscopic collection, will be just as tempted to purchase a new bag (maybe in new styles with the Superflat Panda cartoon) as someone who, like Lisa, missed out on the first drop and is keen to own this slice of fashion history, or even as a Gen Z fashion lover who is being exposed to its playful, psychedelic print for the first time.
With the new collection spanning more than 200 kawaii pieces spread over three drops, there's definitely something for everybody, but if you're looking to invest in one for the first time, Mari suggests that the Speedy and Pochette styles are still the ones to splurge on, as they are the most searched-for silhouettes of the collection on marketplaces. Fair warning: you might be fighting your kids for it in 20 years!
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