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It's always those small details that we miss during a runway show that often end up being a big hit. Think about J.W. Anderson's pierced bag and Gucci's bold, horseshoe-closure satchels: These accessories have barely cooled off from the catwalk, yet they're already on the arms of street-style stars across the globe. Handbags have been one of Nicolas Ghesquière's strong suits during his tenure at Louis Vuitton. For spring '17, though, the clear standout is slightly different: The It bag isn't even a bag — it's a phone case.
Tech gear is nothing new at Louis Vuitton. The brand has an entire section dedicated to iPad cases and phone folios covered in its signature monogram and graphite canvas. However, these tech-cessories generally fall into the house's heritage luxury products, which aren't necessarily trendy, though they're definitely heirlooms-to-be. (Save for a special-edition pochette designed in partnership with the 35th America's Cup). But this season, Ghesquière extended his forward-thinking, graphic touch to this commercial category. Appropriately enough, he did so with the much-loved Petite Malle silhouette that he introduced in his first collection for the brand. (A full-circle moment of sorts, perhaps?)
At the very least, it won't set you back the $5,200 a full-sized Petite Malle would. In the grand scheme of trendy luxury, these phone cases could presumably be pretty affordable. Will they work as well as our Otterboxes, though? We'll have to wait until next season and see how many street-style phone casualties there are — but the hype is already there.
We've reached out to Louis Vuitton for more information on the expected pricing and availability of these new tech gadgets. In the meantime, check out the trunk-ified phones that made their way down the spring '17 runway — and shop some other designer gadgets that should tide you over until these Louis Vuitton styles hit shelves.
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