Dear Bag Snob,
I wasn't sure who to ask amongst my friends so I decided to email you. In your professional opinion, would it be wise for me to order the Louis Vuitton Griet in the exotic dark red alligator and water snake trim? I am asking because I have never considered spending this much on a bag (9k), and would hate to have buyer's remorse. I wanted to purchase only one bag in this price range and I would like to have a timeless classic. So far, I have not found any LV bags that appeal to me as much as the Griet with the exotic dark red trim. I definitely love the contrast of the red with the usual LV brown and gold. Actually, I have never even purchased an LV monogram canvas simply because I do not like the look of the material with just the brown and gold. Any advice you would have would be greatly appreciated.
Love, Mimmi
Dear Mimmi,
Do not get drawn in by the beautiful ad. You may be projecting the allure of Scarlett Johansson on to the bag, but it is all smoke and mirrors. The fact that you have never purchased or been drawn to LV monogram should say something about how you really feel. We all love red, exotic, shiny things but that is not enough to make up for the fact that it is still just an LV monogram. It is a waste of alligator and a waste of $8500. If you want a classic and are looking for an investment piece, this is not it. I mean, the shape of the bag does qualify as a classic, honestly it is not bad, but as a whole, this is a novelty piece for people like Beyonce. Trust me, you will not feel good about plunking your first $9G bag on an LV canvas monogram, exotic trim or not. Besides, this bag is by wait list only (with a deposit) and they have already reached their capacity. You will do much better going with an all exotic from Valextra or Bottega Veneta. If you are willing to spend a little more, a Chanel exotic will stay true and a collector's item forever. But if you still want to inquire, you can call Christi Stevens at the South Coast Plaza boutique at 714.662.6907. After all, we are only here to give our opinions, not tell you what to do =) But please speak to me again if you still want to buy this bag and I will use stronger language to dissuade you!!
Love, The Bag Snob
I agree with Bag Snobs comments: 9K is a lot of money for what is really just an LV Monogram Canvas Griet. If it were me making this decision, I'd probably by the regular LV Monogram Griet ($1650) and then have the cowhide trim dyed - by a professional leathersmith, of course - to whatever colour I liked.
The leathersmith could even emboss the cowhide trim to make it look like alligator.
LV may even do this for you themselves. However, I suspect they will charge you a premium price for doing so.
Wow, that was really nice and good advice. I think what you told her about the LV was dead on, and in my books, prooved the validity
of this point of contact for bag lovers.
Snobs,
You give amazing advice, truly. You are diplomatic yet practical, honest but kind and I can't tell you how much we all appreciate it. Posts like this reinforce what a fashion authority you two have become. Please keep up the brilliant work.
i totally agree, the red is to-do-for, but it's still a monogrammed bag ultimately. i'd pay max 2k for it, certainly not 8.5k.
Scarlet couldn't get me to shell out $1000 for this bag. I find no appeal in her nor this over priced thing.
Nancy C : Yesterday you said that you only comment on bags you like and when you have something nice to say! I don´t think your comment on the LV bag and Scarlet today was very nice.Don´t understand your philosophy here,sorry. I think you just want to say something about everything.
I totally agree with the bagsnob. I would definitly invest in a Chanel bag I have quite a few and they are definite classics. Don't buy the LV bag.
We all love red, exotic, shiny things but that is not enough to make up for the fact that it is still just an LV monogram. It is a waste of alligator and a waste of $8500.
Well said! The fact that it's an LV monogram kills it for me, and for that much money you shouldn't be buying canvas spiced up with some exotic skin. There are so many truly classic and timeless bags out there that are so much more beautiful and worthwhile.
Was I not nice? But it is the truth. I love LV, I have lots of old pieces from my mother and sisters but $8500??? I could have said a lot more.
Anyway, I will have lots to say on my new blog when it is launched!
I so agree on your comments, BS. LV has definitely lost its appeal.. for me, at least. I only use their luggage pieces..at least it's durable and looks decent...
maybe i just love this bag because i'm a drag queen at heart, but i do agree that it should be reserved for beyonce or anyone else who can afford to rock it during the holiday season and then drop it off at the salvation army around february. for a more economical version that can be worn for years to come i would turn to the nancy gonzalez shiny red crocodile satchel currently being sold at neimanmarcus.com for a mere $3625!!!
this bag is hot and so is scarlett! but a bit too pricey. 2k sounds more reasonable
This bag is awful. I've never been a fan of Louis Vuitton bags. I was given one for Christmas one year and eventually just switched out to another bag I had because everywhere I went... someone had a knock off, and I honestly just didn't like it. It now sits in a storage container with my other outdated things. For a while, LV didn't really grab my attention for anything... good or bad. But recently, the bags grab my attention for all the wrong reasons. Awful. But at least LV has finally found an actress to represent them who matches the caliber of their products... I really dislike her.
Nancy C: There is no need for you to start your own blog. Why not ask the Bag Snob girls if you could team in and every time they make a nasty comment on some bag or whatever,you could place a nice comment just because you feel your opinions are the real ones and you are always right! Btw: Merry Christmas
Miranda- I do not think I am always right... just right for myself and this is a forum to voice our opinions is it not?
But what a great idea, Bag Snobs, can I link my new blog to yours? Or team in as Miranda suggested? brilliant idea! Merry xmas to you too!
Ha ha, when I first saw the title I thought it said "grief"--and that's certainly what that bag will eventually give you when you see that it's collecting dust in your closet. I think a classy exotic is the way to go--not some monogrammed canvas (not leather!) with an exotic TRIM. I'm in total agreement with the Bag Snobs here. Why not get an Hermes?
for 9k get an hermes! i think all leather is better than canvas + exotic.
I don't think paying 9k for a LV bag is worth it. Just because the bag has a couple strips of alligator skin doesn't mean they can sell it for that much. You can get a better bag (Hermes) with that kind of money.
Kelly, I couldn't agree with your comments more. You are spot on and this is why your website rocks.
Mimmi,
Think of it this way....you are paying $8,500 to advertise for LV. Labels are ultimately tacky. They should be paying us. I agree with James, and others above; either purchase a Nancy G red (my fav) or go Hermes. I wish I had this "tough" choice!
what do you guys think of the monogram canvas Griet? it's $1650 on the eluxury site.
CC - i'm not in love with the griet. my favorite monogram LV bags are the manhattan, musette, speedy, and sac plat. but i prefer the suhali and epi collections.
I AGREE WITH CC. BUT I HAVE TO ADMIT, THIS IS THE ONLY MONOGRAM I WOULD CONSIDER IF PRESSED. I LOVE THE SUHALI AND EPI COLLECTIONS TOO AND THOSE ARE NEXT IN MY COLLECTION. THAT BROWN LV IS TOOO OVERRATED & I HATE HAVING A BAG THAT I SEE EVERYONE ELSE WITH. NOW WHEN I FIND THE BOTKIER I'M LOOKING FOR AT THE RIGHT PRICE, I'LL LET YOU KNOW.
yes i agree, this bag is pretty damn bad, but has anyone else noticed that all LV bags have to most comments posted. seriously, the tribute bag innumerable comments and the joke bag got about 40! i think it is exactly LV's aim to make people go WOW at their bags, but its usually not for the right reasons. still there are a few LV gems out there????
I happen to love LV Mirage, but I think the cost for that bag is crazy. Why not get the non-exotic version of the Mirage Griet for considerably less money, and make your first $9K bag a Hermes? That would be my vote!
bag snobs, i thought you would recommend an hermes birkin. mimmi was looking for a timeless classic and not necessarily an exotic bag. for $9K, the birkin would have fit the bill perfectly!
I so agree with other snobs, not worth the $$- and I do like LV, I woul never spend money on this one
First of all the LV bag griet is not 9,000 dollars it is around 3000. Second of all I think LV does not cater to you so therefore you hate them.
The Griet in question above is trimmed in crocodile, thus the $9000 ticket price. The regular Griet is less than $2,000.
if she has $9k to burn, tell her to go get her a Hermes!! those are classic and timeless. I mean how long has Hermes been around? exactly. and they will still be around decades after today
i disagree with everyones suggestion that mimmi purchase an hermes bag. i know she said that she wanted something timeless and classic, but anyone who was ever interested in buying the LV griet with red croc and gold trim wouldn't want a boring birkin. i really think she should get an exotic skin with a basic shape. it would stand the test of time, but wouldn't be just another leather bag.
I could not agree more! I can't claim any great knowledge of handbags; being a broke student the furthest I have got in the designer bag forest is a Mulberry Bayswater for my 18th. But to be honest I see myself sticking with classic brands like Mulberry when I have more money and just upgrading the material...I feel slightly embarassed and sorry for people who spend money they cannot afford on "it" bags...and the Louis Vuitton logo is always going to look trashy, no matter how amazing Scarlett looks in the advert.
I am so full of tears over here! I agree with Mimmi that the special order Griet is not a traditional bag and will not be timeless. It is a "for the moment bag" but one that will keep a resale value if you decide to sell it because of its rarity after production stops.
Chanel is timeless and classic but it's also for the older woman. If you're young (like me) you "aren't there yet."
I have several LV runway bags (1 of which there were only 4 in the US available). I also have Chanel, Dolce and Gabbana, and Hermes but my LV bags are the best! BTW, I have this bag too!
I think Bag Snob has given very sound advice! Do not spend so much money on LV bag.
(Antounians v. Louis Vuitton et al, Los Angeles County Superior Court, Case No. BC396340).
A brother and sister who operated a retail store on the Santee Alley bargain strip in the Fashion District of Downtown say they were falsely accused of dealing in counterfeit merchandise and forced out of business by “malicious prosecution” pressed by representative of the Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior fashion labels.
George and Marijeanne Antounian recently filed a lawsuit against the two Paris, France-based luxury brand giants and their attorneys. The Antounians claim that a prior suit that the companies filed against them was itself unlawful.
A federal court eventally dismissed the lawsuit against the Antounians and awarded them approximately $70,000 in lawyer’s fees. That covered about half of what they spent on legal representation in fighting the case, according to a lawyer representing them in their suit against the luxury brands.
The Antounians are seeking unspecified damages from the companies in a malicious prosecution suit alleging that representatives of Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior, and their respective lawyers, knew that allegations of copyright and trademark infringement against them were not true but nevertheless continued with the litigation.
The cost of the defending against the charges eventually forced the Antounian’s to close their Bijou Palace shop on the 1100 block of Santee Alley, according to the couple, who claim they were also forced to liquidate their inventory, a process that typically involves selling off merchandise at very low prices.
The Antounian’s malicious prosecution lawsuit claims that representatives of the two giant luxury labels hired a private investigation company called Investigative Consultants in 2005 to determine whether stores on Santee Alley were selling counterfeit Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior wallets, purses, and other goods. An investigation of nearly two years led to the firm to wrongfully conclude that the Antounians had sold fake Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior products, according to the lawsuit. The Antounians claim that a video used in the investigation showed such counterfeit transactions occurring at adjacent stores and on the pathway of Santee Alley itself, but not at Bijou Palace.
“The Antounians’ store sold only costume jewelry and was not in the business of selling purses and wallets,” said Sean Macias, managing partner of Macias Counsel, Inc. in Glendale, and the lead attorney representing the Antounians.
William Salle, co-counsel for the Antounians, said that a member of the investigation team, Arianna Ortiz, admitted she provided false testimony in identifying Bijou Palace as one of the stores selling knockoff products.
“Ortiz alerted Kris Buckner, president of Investigative Consultants, and lead counsel Janine Garguilo for Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior, of the errors in the investigation reports months before trial, but legal action still proceeded against the Antounians,” according to Salle.
The Antouians lawsuit also alleges that during a trial on accusations against them, in July 2007, Buckner testified that he never saw handbags, wallets, or sunglasses—or any Louis Vuitton or Christian Dior items—for sale at Bijou Palace.
“These were the same items that the Antounians and Bijou Palace were to have allegedly sold,” said Salle.
Macias said that efforts to combat counterfeiting of merchandise are understandable, but contended that his clients were wrongly caught up in the efforts.
“Maybe they wanted to send a message to would-be counterfeiters that they mean business,” Macias said. “Instead, Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior succeeded only in destroying an innocent small business.”
Representatives of Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior could not be reached for comment, as of presstime
Hello there, I have been reading your articles and comments on the LV Monogram Exotic Griet and I have agreed more before I purchased my own Aligator, water snake and Ostrich griet not to long ago and yes it comes in $10k with tax and shipping. I have one thing to say I LOVE IT VERY MUCH, It does brings out the elegant of the exotic skins I too never a fan of the monogram and I mostly give out my monogram collections however this one Griet deserve a long term spot in my closet, I do not need to be Beyonce to carry this piece or appreciate its beauty, after owning one I truly appreciate and not regret the $10k price that I paid for....
thank you for your time....
l would like to buy this one for christmas