Pharrell’s first and latest — the highly-anticipated Speedy re-issue — is, at long last, here.
It is befitting that the Speedy’s first name came from the motor-momentum that enthralled in the 1930s. Originally dubbed “Express”, the Gaston-Louis Vuitton creation oded to the speed of fast cars — and foreshadowed the almost century-long craze that would ultimate encircle the LV model. Understanding the resolute adoration behind the house’s humble handbag is to break down the legend of its 94-year-old journey. Fans of smaller-scaled Speedys have Audrey Hepburn to thank. The Breakfast At Tiffany’s starlet requested petite versions to fit her frame; a request only granted for the sheer star power she possessed. And the celebrity of it all does not just end there: across the years, an array of famed designers and starlings have played a hand in shaping up the Speedy to the coveted house staple it is today. Re-issues, collaborative remixes and “as seen on”s have placed the Speedy at the crux of Louis Vuitton’s archives. So it is safe to say that the hype still stands, especially when pop-icon-turned-creative-director Pharrell Williams lends his midas touch to yet another reconfiguration.
In an unmissable colour scheme of brights — a bed of reds, greens, blues and yellows have been bored into the eyeballs of aspiring buyers and passers-by alike — the Speedy Bandoulière has been proudly teased time and again across a plethora of prominents. A Very-Pregnant Rihanna, for instance, graced the facade of Paris’ Musée d’Orsay, carrying with her not just child, but the four vibrant iterations of the new Speedy. Then Hollywood favourite Jacob Elordi was spotted on the go with his Speedys (green and yellow ones, by the way) — positioning the bag as a must-have for any city-dwelling Cool Boy. And the Speedy love went on: figureheads of sport (LeBron and Lewis Hamilton), music (Jackson Wang and Tyler the Creator) and fashion (Naomi Campbell and well, Pharrell) all deemed the bag to be celebrity-approved, and culturally relevant.
Aside the more obvious tonal disparities that differentiate the old and new versions of the bag, the latter Speedy sheds its usual monogrammed canvas shell, in favour of a supple calfskin body, lambskin lining and Vivienne leather trimmings. Gold-polished hardware and an inner-plaque (complete with a quote from the multi-hyphenate), a removable leather pouch that resides within, softened construction and silk-screened monograms all add to its air of elegance. Luxuriant to the touch, Pharrell’s offering no longer fuels discourse on where canvas bags lie on the scale of opulence. Designed with the vision of a converging “cultural axis”, and inspired by the American designer’s beginnings in Canal Street, the bag reflects a contemporary, cosmopolitan edge; naunced by the French maison’s savoir-faire sensibilities.
The Speedy Bandoulière in Monogram Leather launches January 4 in four colour ways and three sizes. Once you’re done with this story, click here to catch up with our December/January 2024 issue.
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