Louis Vuitton Silver Petite Malle Small Hardside Case

The Petite Malle small hard case is a bag model released by Louis Vuitton in the autumn and winter of 2014. Every detail, including the box structure, Tumbler lock, and leather corners, restores the design of the brand's classic travel case. The newly launched model is made of silver Epi water ripple leather with a sci-fi feel , creating a sense of classicism and the future.

Louis Vuitton fashion shows from 2014 to 2020 (swipe left and right to view more pictures)

Design inspiration

This silver Petite Malle small hard case is from Louis Vuitton's 2020 early spring resort series . This season's theme is "Jet Age", and silver-gray is used as the main tone to interpret ready-to-wear and bags.

Louis Vuitton Cruise 2020 Fashion Show

The Petite Malle handbag is a bag model released by Louis Vuitton in the autumn and winter of 2014. Nicolas Ghesquière, creative director of women's wear, designed it with inspiration from the brand 's photography box launched in 1929. The Petite Malle can be seen in almost every season's works since then.

LV 2014 Fall/Winter Fashion Show

LV 1929 photography box

This camera case was specially made for French banker and philanthropist Albert Kahn , and his signature mark, a white "XXX" symbol, was painted on the case. In the early 20th century, Albert Kahn hired 10 professional photographers to travel around the world and record local customs and appearances with their cameras, taking and collecting about 72,000 color photos. In order to carry photographic equipment and daily necessities, he customized several red canvas boxes from LV, with black iron trim and thick ropes tied to the handles for local natives to carry. The Petite Malle handbag looks like a miniature version of this classic camera case, but the way the handbag is opened has been improved . There are leather corner braces on both sides, which can be extended and closed at an angle of about 45°, making it easy to store and access items in the bag and avoid spilling, which is more modern.

· Luggage details ·

As we mentioned earlier, the Petite Malle handbag is designed based on a photographic box from 1929. Its iconic elements, such as the box structure, Tumbler lock, and leather corners , can be traced back to the first flat-top suitcase launched by LV in 1858. In 1858, LV launched the world's first flat-top suitcase (Flat Trunk) , which uses a poplar wood frame and waterproof canvas for the outer skin. It is lighter than traditional dome suitcases and is easier to stack and transport.

Left: Traditional dome-shaped suitcase, French Queen Marie Antoinette's suitcase
Right: LV flat-top suitcase, Elizabeth Taylor's custom suitcase

Considering the safety of suitcases, LV invented the "Tumbler Lock" , a single-lock system equipped with two spring buckles in 1886 , and customized private locks engraved with special numbers for customers. All suitcases of each guest can be opened and closed with the same key. This system is still in use today.

The Trunk luggage features beechwood strips and rivet reinforcements for a more solid structure, while the Petite Malle trunk evolves this with black smooth calfskin strips trimmed with round rivets , and the brand's logo is etched on the silver rivets.

The angular hard case has 8 sharp corners. The corner design makes the corners rounded and smooth, not easy to bump and more solid. The corner rivets are painted black so they don't look abrupt.

Albert Kahn's exclusive signature mark "XXX" is still in use today. This model appears in black with a three-dimensional feel, like three seagulls flying freely.

Epi Water Ripple Leather

Epi leather was first introduced as a Louis Vuitton product line in 1985, inspired by a tea chest designed by the brand for the Indian royal family in 1926. Epi translates to "wheat ears" because the undulating texture on its surface is reminiscent of the waves formed by the breeze blowing through wheat ears.

In 1926, Louis Vuitton made a tea box for the Indian royal family.

Epi is an embossed cowhide with a characteristic of wavy texture on its surface . To achieve this texture, tanning agents extracted from plants are needed to tan the leather, making it tough, waterproof, scratch-resistant and wear-resistant . Deep dyeing is also required on the basis of tanning , and its color effect is due to the gloss treatment of the leather and the coloring technique of the convex surface of the texture.

The combination of water ripples and silver-gray makes the small box look like it's wearing a future battle armor. With the addition of silver hardware details and a black frame, the bag looks like it came out of a Sci-Fi movie, exuding a mechanical and futuristic style.

· How do I carry this bag? ·

The handbag is equipped with a detachable and adjustable black slim leather shoulder strap . The small and tough carry-on size is very stylish as a shoulder bag or a clutch; or you can easily gather the shoulder strap and turn it into a casual handbag.

The shoulder strap ends are decorated with silver hooks and lightly engraved with the LV logo, highlighting the exquisite details.

What can this bag hold?

The opening and closing method is very simple and can be easily operated with one hand. Just push the two round buttons on the lock towards the center, and with a crisp "click" sound, the triangular metal piece will automatically pop open, and you can easily open the box.

It is lined with exquisite nude lambskin , with the classic LV Malletage diamond line print on one side and an inner patch pocket on the other side, and a small mirror is also included.

The bag can be opened at a 45° angle, so small items can be put in, but we don’t recommend stuffing it too full. We put an iPhone X, a card holder, AirPods, lip gloss and perfume in the bag, and you can have fun with these essential items.