Rei Kawakubo's Louis Vuitton BAG WITH HOLES
Rei Kawakubo, the founder and avant garde designer of Comme des Garcons, was approached by Louis Vuitton in 2014 to design a monogram handbag for the exhibition “Icon and Iconoclast; Celebrating Monogram” for their 160th anniversary. She was given free license.
Combining her unconventional approach to fashion with LV's timeless elegance, Rei created a classic Sac Plat silhouette with giant holes cut out and an inner bag that resembled a dustbag with a drawstring. Her inspiration was to dismantle the traditional LV monogram and to discover a new way of looking at it.
The "Bag with Holes" was a reflection of this thought-provoking philosophy, defying traditional notions of what a luxury handbag should look like. Upon reflection, years later, Rei herself said that it was tedious to add an inner bag for functionality.
The design resurfaced in 2021 when a black leather version went on sale via a SNS lottery making it very hard to buy. The original bag retailed for around $3000 and it is now considered a rare and highly collectable piece selling for up to $10,000. The only way you can find one is on the resale market.
What's your take? Would you rock the Bag with Holes?