Editor’s Note
This article previews a landmark auction of over 300 Louis Vuitton pieces, spanning the brand’s last decade. It reflects on the enduring legacy of its iconic monogram, a symbol of luxury and reinvention for over a century.
From August 27 to September 10, 2025, Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr will put over three hundred Louis Vuitton pieces under the hammer. Coming from a private collection, they cover the last ten years of the famous French brand.
Two initials and two flowers compose one of the world’s most famous monograms. Recognizable with eyes closed, this canvas invented in 1896 by Georges Vuitton in homage to his father has, over the years and eras, been the subject of obsessions, reinventions, and artistic projections. At the end of summer, it will be the focus of an auction. Organized by Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr, the sale will feature exactly 317 pieces, all signed Louis Vuitton and all from the same private collection.
Acquired over the past decade and then kept in new condition for preservation, the pieces reflect the aesthetic evolution of Louis Vuitton under the direction of Marc Jacobs, Nicolas Ghesquière, Virgil Abloh, and even Pharrell Williams, who arrived at the creative helm of the menswear line in February 2023. The lot list includes 138 bags and small leather goods, featuring iconic models like the Neverfull, Speedy, Side Trunk, Twist, OnTheGo, CarryAll, and NéoNéo, among others.
Titled “Monogram in the Spotlight,” the sale will also offer 77 jewelry pieces, from classics to limited editions, 80 silk and cashmere scarves, stoles, or shawls, as well as 10 ready-to-wear items.
Among the standout lots are a Capucine BB Constellations bag with Swarovski crystals, a Petit Malle bag in silver leather with quilted sequins, a monogrammed jacquard denim bomber jacket from the Fall-Winter 2023 collection, all imagined by Nicolas Ghesquière, as well as an Alma BB bag in zebra patch canvas created with artist Sun Yitian in 2024.
These pieces, with estimates generally ranging from 150 to 8,000 euros, place Louis Vuitton’s collaborations at the center of attention. A pioneer in partnerships between visual artists and the luxury world, the brand set the trend as early as 2001 when Marc Jacobs called upon Stephen Sprouse, causing a sensation in the industry. It happened again in October 2002 when, on an open-air runway, the designer placed in the models’ hands white bags with colorful monograms, resulting from a then-unprecedented collaboration between Louis Vuitton and Japanese artist Takashi Murakami.
The success was immediate; the collection generated hundreds of millions of dollars in a year, and the bags were adopted by all the icons of the decade. The partnership lasted until 2015 and was relaunched by Louis Vuitton this year. Highly sought after, pieces from the brand’s collaborations with artists have become rare, turning into collector’s items, so their presence among the lots promises to boost both the sale and the attention it receives.
