That Louis Vuitton is synonymous with travel has been a fact for over a century, but things took a literal turn with the release of the $39,000 airplane-shaped handbago, designed by Virgil Abloh for the Fall/Winter 2021 collection. Not only was the accessory outrageously priced, but it also wasn’t received with the kind of praise the designer might have anticipated. The internet went guns blazing, taking aim at a plane no one saw coming.
Imagine their reaction now, knowing that the very same bag, one of the last Abloh designs he may have seen launched during his lifetime, is being auctioned at Sotheby’s for $60,000. That fact alone might explain the sky-high asking price. The bag remains untouched in all its jet-shaped glory, complete with cockpit windows, a tail, silver rivets, and under-wing engines. It’s fully wrapped in Louis Vuitton’s iconic monogram canvas, lined in black textile, and comes with a shoulder strap, luggage tag, and dust bag.
Back in 2021, inspired by Abloh’s “tourist vs. purist” narrative, the bag drew plenty of ridicule. One X user joked, “You can buy an actual plane for far less,” sharing an image of a 1968 Cessna 150 listed at $32,300. Another quipped, “For $39K, I better be able to fly that bag.” But not everyone hated it. Among the rare few who actually bought it was Chris Brown, who proudly showed off the designer piece on Instagram, claiming he was the only person in the U.S. who owned it. “Only 1 in the US,” he captioned.
Now’s your chance to change that; Sotheby’s is offering the Louis Vuitton Virgil Abloh Ebene Monogram Coated Canvas Airplane Bag from 2021, complete with silver hardware and in near-mint condition.
