For years, Louis Vuitton bags have been some of the most desired and sought-after accessories in the world. Known for their luxurious features including materials such as crocodile leather and precious stones, a Louis Vuitton bag has served as a symbol of wealth, class, and luxury for decades. Those who are lucky enough to own such a bag know the intricate details and unique designs that make these bags truly one of a kind. The luxury of the designs has led many across the globe to acquire, collect, and admire the bags as a passion project. One of these many admirers is Jonathan Riss, who has had a lifelong passion for the brand of Louis Vuitton as a whole. His passion led him to amass one of the world’s largest collections of Louis Vuitton Keepall bags – an iconic piece of luggage first created in the 1930s. More recently, his passion has transformed into a brand new Keepall bag collection.
Beyond his pure passion for Louis Vuitton and his unbelievable collection, Riss works as a designer for Parisian label Jay Ahr. The brand itself is known for women’s ready-to-wear collections, but now, through the work of Riss, is offering a unisex vintage Louis Vuitton Keepall bag collection. Each of the bags available is truly one-of-a-kind featuring its own painstakingly, hand-embroidered, unique theme such as various international flags. Flags depict countries such as Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Argentina, and even North Korea. In addition to these flags, some bags portray other themes, such as skull and crossbones, palm fronds, and other various combinations of embroidered fabric accented with magnificent stud embellishments.
With his collection, Riss has really showcased his exquisite talent for embroidery, which he has perfected over two decades of practice. The resulting bags feature an elaborate patchwork of material inspired by cultural elements from around the world including Persian rugs from Iran, Shunga from Japan, and art from Africa, to name a few. Each patchwork is woven around the classic Louis Vuitton monogram in a way that creates a unique wear design and allows for the logo to pop through the flag or theme. The natural wear design is further accented by the realness of the bag. Most purses and bags sit tucked away in a warehouse for a period of time; however, these bags have not had to sit through that process. Rather, these bags have traveled across the globe and only endured the natural wear and tear of travel.
In the past, designers within and outside of Louis Vuitton have created bags and accessories featuring similar iconic logos. For instance, Marc Jacobs of Louis Vuitton designed the Stephen Sprouse, which was an instant runway hit. More recently, a collaboration between Louis Vuitton and Dinos Chapman created a Keepall which Riss is following-up nicely with this collection. That collection, commissioned by the creative director at that time, Kim Jones, featured exotic animals on the top of the icon Louis Vuitton logo. Riss’s bags promise to offer many similar aspects with the added appeal of the truly vintage, worn-in aesthetic. As a result, they have a price range to match. The bags are available for sale on Farfetch ranging in price from $9,901 to $14,144.
