LV ICONS -- Speedy

Cannes, La Croisette, May 1956

At last she was back on her beloved Riviera. Tomorrow would be her day. She would climb the steps, flash bulbs would crackle, the critics would praise her or bury her, it made little difference, tomorrow she would be the centre of attention. She clasped her most precious possessions to her chest -- a script and the Speedy bag she had bought with her very first fee. The production assistant for a commercial being shot on the beach at Ramatuelle had spotted her one Tuesday morning at Place des Lices, where she was selling sachets of lavender. The young actress he had chosen in Paris hadn't arrived at Saint-Raphael station. Finding himself at a loose end, he had decided to explore the Provencal market, putting off the moment when he would have to tell his team the shoot was postponed or even cancelled. Was it the fragrance that had intoxicated him, or had he been mesmerized by the light on that still balmy morning? As soon as he caught sight of her, he knew instantly that she was their new star, and that everyone would fall under her charm...







The Speedy is the archetypal multi-purpose soft bag. Produced in the 1930s, it was modelled after its larger sister, the Keepall. Light and versatile, the Speedy is the perfect city bag that has played a key part in the history of Louis Vuitton. It has also adorned many pages in the annals of fashion and film.


(The 11 posts included in the LV ICONS series are excerpts from the ©Louis Vuitton Icons look book released in September 2006; with Photographs by ©Thomas Lagrange, ©Laurent Bremaud, ©Vogue, ©Roger-Viollet, ©Agence France Presse and Words by ©Stephane Gerschel)