Luxury Handbag Reviews

Take a look at the green military bag in my hands. It's a Louis Vuitton Speedy 35 Monogramouflage. You haven't seen a lot of them in the streets, have you?

If you're not an avid Louis Vuitton collector, this bag may seem a fake. You've never seen this material before.

This beauty, Louis Vuitton Speedy Monogramouflage 35 is considered to be the most sought-after Speedy in the world.

Does Marc Jacobs name rings a bell for you? In the beginning of 2000s he was a creative director of Louis Vuitton. He loved art and considered it to be an inspiration for the modern fashion designers. It was at that time when he invited a lot of modern artists to create limited editions for Louis Vuitton items.

One of these artists was Takashi Murakami, a Japanese pop artist. He did several collaborations for Louis Vuitton, including Multicolor, Cherry Blossom, Cerises product canvases and a few limited editions:

Takashi Murakami also created a Speedy Monogramouflage. The bag became the 13th interpretation of the Speedy classic design. It retailed for $1,350 when it was first released as a piece of art on an exhibition in the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, 3 years ago you could still find her on ebay or Fahionphile at $3,000 but now the price has skyrocketed to almost $8,000. It's a highly collectible item that every Louis Vuitton collector wants to have in their collection.

Stop. Let's be honest. With $8,000 in your pocket, you can buy almost any Louis Vuitton bag, Chanel, Dior or even an Hermes Birkin. Is the Speedy Monogramouflage worth it?

Speedy Monogramouflage Review

Speedy Monogramouflage was only released in size 35 so it's 35 cm wide. It's made from canvas like any other Louis Vuitton Speedy. There are two black fabric stripes across the bag that make it look like a tiny Keepall. The handles are made of vachetta.

As it's canvas and vachetta, it has the same wear as ony other Speedy. The print can be a little worn out on the corners and the handles easily get water spots and eventually get dark.

Here are some other details of an authentic Louis Vuitton Speedy Monogramouflage. On a luggage tag, Murakami wrote: 'Monogramouflage Edition LimiteeTakashi Murakami Louis Vuitton'. A few bag collectors would buy the tag only for several hundred bucks.

Let's get back to the initial question.

Should you spend over $5,000 on a used bag provided it's not a Birkin?

I have no idea why this bag is popular. I'd say because of limited availability but Louis Vuitton released hundreds of limited editions and most of them depreciated over time even though there were only 300 released in the whole world.

Monogramouflage pattern does remind us of military service and for any person who is emotionally connected with military service, it'll mean a lot more than any other bag.

Nevertheless, to many of us the idea of spending several thousands of dollars on a bag seems crazy. It's not even a diamond ring, it's just a bag that has wear and tear like any other accessory.

Is Louis Vuitton Speedy Monogramouflage a good Investment?

Definitely, yes. The price is growing and fewer and fewer bags are being listed in good condition. If you ever realize you're not in love with the Monogramouflage anymore or need money, you'll sell this baby pretty fast and probably over what you paid for it initially. It keeps its price just as the Hermes Birkin bag does.

Is it worth $5,000? From the raw material value standpoint, the answer is definitely no. However, this is a highly collectible limited edition, a unicorn for many LV fans. Due to its army print, it also has emotional value for many moms and wives.

If you already have a Speedy Monogramouflage in your collection - you're lucky! If not, any price lower than $4,000 would be a steal for this bag. If you ever find it below this price, grab it and never let go.

If you decide you need this bag, this bag is in stock at this luxury shop.