“I might have put the bride in the trunk, if I had my way... with the top open, of course.” That’s Anaita Shroff Adajania for you, India’s most wanted stylist and Vogue India’s fashion director. We are talking about the Louis Vuitton Bridal Salon campaign photos, styled by someone else, that highlight the trousseau box, or the Malle Courrier, and other trunks and bags that will be tasked with protecting the contents of a bride’s voluminous wardrobe. Some hold silk saris or diamond jewellery, and several are artfully piled beside an automobile or a fully-veiled bride. I like Adajania’s idea. These trunks, crafted in Asnieres and often commissioned by legends, from Hemingway (he had a library trunk) to opera star Lily Pons (her shoe trunk could fit 36 pairs), need more of the bride in the picture. LV’s iconic travel trunks, in gaboon, poplar or beech wood, with exclusive brass locks, make for spectacular memory keepers, after all, and what better than our Indian weddings to create those memories?
The LV salon is part of The Vogue Wedding Show next month, now in its seventh edition and Conde Nast India’s most successful property. “It is a validation of the show to have the world’s largest luxury brand on board,” observes Arjun Mehra, chief business officer, Conde Nast India. With India’s wedding services market valued at over $50 billion, this event has many of the country’s leading designers in attendance, and easily draws visitors from over a 100 cities. Most visit with the single-minded purpose of splashing out on their high-profile family wedding and perhaps price tags of ₹1.12 lakh* (the Erin Declaration box for the engagement ring, the smallest of the pieces on show) to ₹23.5 lakh* (the Malle Courrier 1100) won’t come as a surprise.
- Besides the Monogram version, the trunk can also be ordered in other Louis Vuitton materials, such as Monogram Macassar, Damier, Taïga, etc. Options with inside lining, handpainting with stripes, initials or other designs can also be done on the trunks.
As Adajania points out, each of the 150-plus pieces to be displayed is a keeper. Having worked with the brand for over 20 years, she agrees that it has moved seamlessly from customising trunks for maharajas to finding contemporary context. As for herself, she says her most precious Cashmere shawl would go into the Malle Courrier, with her wedding sari and photos... “now a rare commodity”. The Indian bride, of course, doesn’t have to stop with the trunk. Keeping both festive and intimate nights in mind, there is the Boite Jeu De Poker for an impromptu game, and the Boite Champagne, for the requisite bubbly.
ElsewhereCalifornia stopover: Louis Vuitton X in Beverly Hills is an exhibition spread across 10 intensely coloured rooms. In one of them are duffel bags interpreted by designers like Karl Lagerfeld. Among the custom pieces is a collection of early 20th century Louis Vuitton trunks. Till September 15, 2019. Feeling bookish? Louis Vuitton: 100 Legendary Trunks is a keeper. Launched in 2010, the coffee table collectible has about 800 images and an introduction by Patrick-Louis Vuitton. Available online in the US at approximately $170. 
Counting bags: Victoria & Albert museum in London has the mother of all shows for bag lovers coming up in 2020. Bags! will feature key handbags from around the world, from the 16th century onwards. Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s collection will possibly be included, but it goes without saying that LV’s trunks will have a special spot. From April 25, 2020 to January 3, 2021. Ticket bookings begin later this year. On tour: In Kuala Lumpur, LV’s roving Time Capsule exhibition has rare objects from the past. One of the categories, The Key to the Codes, features the brand’s original trunks. Till July 28, 2019. Secretaire Linge en Toile Monogram personnalise avec des lignes verticales peintes en jaune et vert, les initiales A J.D.B Jr et le nombre 151 - vue de 3/4 |
*prices approximate, from us.louisvuitton.com, at time of print
