Carrying lunch into the office from home can be one way to save money — except, perhaps, when it is stored in Pharrell Williams’ Louis Vuitton sandwich bag costing over US$3,000.

Record producer and designer Williams, who was named men’s creative director of the French luxury fashion house last February, has seemingly drawn inspiration from the classic paper sandwich bag for one of his latest designs, reimagining it as a high fashion accessory.

Instead of paper, the large clutch bag — seen tucked under the arms of models on the runway during Williams’ debut collection on the Pont Neuf in Paris last June — is made of cowhide leather “in exactly the same color as the house’s famed (paper) shopping bags,” the label said.

The comparisons don’t end there. Precisely folded to resemble its more quotidian counterpart, the accessory also features the iconic Louis Vuitton lettering as well as a blue fastening, evoking the grosgrain handles of the house’s bags, to keep sandwiches — or more likely, something more precious — secure.

The piece went on sale Jan. 4 exclusively at the brand’s West Hollywood pop-up store, retailing for US$3,130. But it’s not the first time that Louis Vuitton has drawn inspiration from everyday accessories.

In its Spring-Summer 2007 collection, the fashion house paid homage to the budget-friendly checkered plastic laundry bags beloved the world over. In 2022, the brand also released a cross-body bag resembling a paint can (complete with metal handle), “decorated with playful references to Louis Vuitton’s heritage.”

The paint can bag was designed by Louis Vuitton’s late creative director Virgil Abloh who, in a 2021 interview with design magazine “Icon,” cited the artist Marcel Duchamp — renowned for transforming everyday objects into art — as one of his heroes.

Other fashion houses have employed this approach too: In 2014, designer Ashish Gupta revamped the plastic grocery bag into a sequined statement piece at a premium price, saying that it paid “homage to everyday life.”

“It’s also perhaps a revolt against the disposable nature of fast fashion,” Gupta said. “It’s taking a classic but throw-away object and turning it into something with longevity, that can be appreciated outside of its usual context for its timeless design quality.”

But such designs can court controversy — and ridicule. In 2017, Balenciaga released a US$2,145 bag that looked just like Ikea’s iconic 99 cent crinkly, blue “Frakta” bag, and promptly went viral on social media.

(SD-Agencies)

Words to Learn 相关词汇

【日常的】rìcháng de quotidian ordinary, everyday

【亮片装饰的】liàngpiàn zhuāngshì de sequined covered in or decorated with small, shiny disks

去办公室上班自带午餐可能是种省钱大法 – 除非你用的是法瑞尔•威廉姆斯的路易威登三明治袋，因为这种袋子标价超过3000美元。

唱片制作人兼设计师威廉姆斯去年2月被任命为法国奢侈时装品牌路易威登的男装创意总监，他的新设计似乎从经典的三明治纸袋中汲取了灵感，将其演绎为高级时尚配饰。

去年6月，威廉姆斯在巴黎新桥举行的首次时装发布会上，人们看到这个大号手拿包被模特夹在腋下，不过不是纸质、而是用牛皮制成的，颜色与该品牌的纸质购物袋一模一样。

相似之处不止于此：这款手袋的折叠方式与普通购物袋相似，上面印有路易威登的品牌名称和蓝色扣环，让人联想到该品牌购物袋的罗缎提手，可以装三明治或者更贵重的东西。

该商品1月4日起在路易威登西好莱坞的快闪店独家发售，零售价为3130美元。这并不是路易威登第一次从日常物件中汲取灵感。

在2007年的春夏系列中，路易威登就曾向全世界都喜爱的经济实惠的格纹塑料洗衣袋致敬。2022 年，路易威登还推出了一款类似油漆桶的斜挎包 （配有金属手柄），“包身装饰俏皮地体现了路易威登的传统”。

油漆桶包由路易威登已故创意总监维吉尔•阿布洛设计， 2021年接受设计杂志《Icon》采访时他提到艺术家马塞尔•杜尚是自己的偶像。

其他时装品牌也有类似做法：2014 年，设计师阿希什•古普塔以将塑料购物袋改造成售价不菲的亮片装饰单品，表示这是在“向日常生活致敬”。

古普塔说：“这或许是对快时尚‘用后即弃’消费方式的反抗。将常见的一次性物品变成一件具有长久生命力的东西，不过时的设计让人们欣赏它日常之外的用途。”

但这样的设计也会引发争议和群嘲。2017年，巴黎世家发布了一款价值2145美元的手袋，外形酷似宜家的Frakta手提袋（这种皱巴巴的蓝色袋子标价99美分），当时社交媒体一片哗然。(Translated by Debra)