Inside Louis Vuitton Men’s Temporary Residency in Seoul
SEOUL — Louis Vuitton has opened a temporary residency in Seoul, South Korea.
The pop-up residency opened on July 12, following the recent presentation in South Korea featuring Louis Vuitton Global Ambassadors BTS. Back in January, Louis Vuitton reached its biggest online audience for a men’s fashion show with BTS’ influence, and their popularity in South Korea is certain to draw clients to the residency.
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Louis Vuitton has transformed a two-story space, originally a popular café, to fit the themes of its latest collection. Ready-to-wear, accessories, leather goods and collectors’ items were on display and available for purchase, including the buzzy carrot pouch and takeaway coffee cup bag.
The carrot pouch. - Credit: Kristine Kwak
Kristine Kwak
The takeaway coffee cup crossbody bag. - Credit: Kristine Kwak
Kristine Kwak
Familiar silhouettes, such as the Keepall and Soft Trunk, were also featured using new textiles, such as the new eco-friendly “felt line,” which uses recycled materials from existing stock. Several other items showcased were drawn from streetwear, such as the monogram skateboard and the LV Trainer.
The temporary residency is open through July 31 and is following safety protocols by requiring masks, temperature checks and hand sanitization upon entry.
Inside the Louis Vuitton pop-up in Seoul. - Credit: Kristine Kwak
Kristine Kwak
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K-pop boy band BTS’ rapper RM’s carrot pouch costs a whopping Rs 1 lakh!
On work front, BTS unveiled their latest song “Permission to Dance”, an upbeat track about spreading happiness through dance and music.
The new track is part of K-pop group’s CD single ‘Butter’, which also includes their chartbuster number and the instrumental versions of the two songs.
They have collaborated with British musician Ed Sheeran and producer Steve Mac for the song.
The cheerful and optimistic track inspires others to move to the rhythm and music. In the nearly five-minute-long track, the group, which is equally popular for their often-effortless dance moves, performs in a carefree and energetic manner.
There is also an abundance of balloons in the video, especially purple ones, which is the colour that symbolises the K-pop band and its die-hard fan base, also known as Army.
“Permission to Dance” was written by Sheeran and Snow Patrol singer Johnny McDaid, along with frequent Sheeran collaborator, British producer Steve Mac, as well as “Butter” co-writer Jenna Andrews.
BTS will perform the new track during their two-night stint on July 13 and 14 on NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon”, marking their live debut of the song on a US television show.
Meanwhile, the K-pop group’s smash hit track “Butter” has topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for six consecutive weeks, which marks their longest run on the No.1 spot.
Louis Vuitton plane-shaped bag costs more than an actual plane
A Louis Vuitton bag that’s shaped like a plane has become the subject of ridicule on social media.
The aviation-inspired men’s bag, part of the brand’s Fall/Winter 2021 collection, was designed by Virgil Abloh and sells for $39,000 (around £28,000).
The brown bag features Louis Vuitton’s signature monogram pattern and has wings, engines, a tail and a nose to form the shape of an aircraft.
French fashion house Louis Vuitton is well-known for its luxury leather bags, but the impracticality of a plane-shaped design and the price tag has caused a stir on social media.
One social media user wrote: “You can buy an actual plane for less”, posting an advert of a small aircraft for sale for $32,300 as proof.
Another wrote: “For $39K I better be able to fly that bag.”
True to social media form, the bag became the subject of many plane-related jokes, as one person said: “Where’s my chapstick? Have you checked the cockpit?”
Meanwhile, another person joked: “Looks like price of handbags really ‘took off’ this year..”
Abloh has been the artistic director of Louis Vuitton menswear since 2018 and is also the chief executive officer of his own fashion house, Off-White.
It is not the first time one of Abloh’s designs has caught people’s attention.
Earlier this month, the designer posted a short clip on his Instagram of a Louis Vuitton bag in the shape of a carrot that has been viewed over 1.4 million times.
The bag appeared to be made of orange leather that featured the brand’s classic monogram pattern. It also had lengths of green fabric coming from the top to represent a carrot top.
One person wrote: “Defund this man immediately.”
Another said: “Someone needs to write a book about this bag.”