As the first model hit the catwalk at the Louis Vuitton Spring 2017 show, a hush fell over both the fashion and tech worlds. In her hands, she clasped the accessory that will soon shield the phones of every street style star worth their selfie-loving salt.
A riff on creative director Nicolas Ghesquière’s OG Petite Malle silhouette (which he first introduced in his debut collection for the brand), this season’s It accessory will be a handy, modernized version of the French fashion house’s coveted travel trunks.
Ghesquière, perhaps cognizant of the popularity of the Moschino fast-food cell phone cases that made their debut during the Fall 2014 runway season, seems to be banking on the success of the très Petite Malles. The day before the show, Ghesquière teased the accessory on Instagram, already anticipating the hype. The designer sent a slew of options down the runway, from checkerboard patterned sheaths to gold and silver logo-emblazoned iterations to bold red, blue and tan crocodile leather cases, all accented with those iconic hardware details.
It’s a smart move. Millennials, as we all know, aren’t spending big bucks on handbags anymore. We prefer itsy-bitsy luxury toy bags that come with limited storage space and reasonable(-ish) price tags (Manu Atelier, we’re looking at you). So, why not shrink your bag down to its smallest possible form, help buyers rationalize their purchase with the knowledge that they’ll make use of it every single day and — here’s hoping — price it to sell?
The brand’s standard iPhone cases go for between $295 and $445, a Petite Malle bag will run you at least $5,500, so we optimistically imagine these new cases will fall somewhere below the $1,000 mark, which, in the grand scheme of trendy, high-fashion buys, is actually pretty affordable.
As we wait with baited breath for solid intel on the gadgets’ pricing and availability (and pray no new, redesigned iPhone drops in the meantime), scroll through the slideshow below and choose which case you’ll be spending half a month’s rent on.
LV Cellphone Case
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LV Cellphone Case #1
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LV Cellphone Case #2
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LV Cellphone Case #3
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LV Cellphone Case #4
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LV Cellphone Case #5
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LV Cellphone Case #6
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LV Cellphone Case #7
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LV Cellphone Case #8