Most people, even if they are not interested, can identify a Louis Vuitton item if it is the classic monogramme. They are ubiquitous and faked to death. For this reason, many people don’t like carrying Louis Vuitton anymore. I am one of them. I have a large bucket bag but have not used it for about ten years because at one point they were EVERYWHERE, mostly counterfeit. I would like a Speedy and a Neverfull but am waiting for the tide to turn again before I add them to my collection. They are a little too ubiquitous at the moment – especially in Sweden.
A brand that has, surprisingly, remained under the radar is Goyard. It is like a fashion insider’s secret passport and I do hope it remains that way.
In many ways Goyard is very similar to Louis Vuitton – they are more or less the same price (perhaps a little more), they too are made of coated canvas and also have a very recognizable pattern (a chevron), their bestselling St Louis is very similar to the Louis Vuitton Neverfull, and they are also a very old French luggage maker. BUT they don’t use advertising and have a very small retail and media presence. Yet they sell to young and old, even though they don’t scream ‘I am EXPENSIVE’ and the mass market does not even know what they are. They are faked quite a bit but not to the extent of Louis Vuitton because the brand is not so well-known.
