Going Logo: The latest from Louis Vuitton

"Keeping the world’s most venerated initials fresh and new."

We are a rich country pretending to be poor," a clueless (or was it tactless?) government official once declared. These words always ring in my head when I hear of the phenomenal sales that Louis Vuitton Manila generates. Come whatever political or economic upheaval, Louis Vuitton is the Old Man River of our local luxury scene: LV just keeps on rolling along. It has been at the corner of the 6750 shopping area forever and two years ago, it even took over the old Bruno Magli space to house its shoe collection. And it manages to sell out even the most whimsical products. Can you believe they sold out their Monogram soccer balls? Last season’s outrageous Graffiti line, a collaboration between ’80s icon Stephen Sprouse and LV’s resident Boy Wonder Marc Jacobs? "Sold out even before it arrived," reveals Edd Fuentes, indefatigable publicist for Vuitton. He explains, "The clients here are very up-to-date. Once they see the new collection in the magazines, they call and reserve items even before they arrive in the store."

For Fall Winter 2001, after causing a major stir with the Graffiti line last Spring-Summer, LV sticks to updated classics. Louis Vuitton has always been a master at this tightrope – dabbling in the cutting edge but maintaining the integrity of its impressive heritage. As Katherine Kwei, PR specialist of Louis Vuitton Asia, says, "In the news, people tend to forget our bread and butter which is the Monogram line." The classic Monogram, in the familiar brown and camel, has been resuscitated with the new handles. The new handles are an extra-wide arch for more comfortable carrying.

The famous LV initials have been reworked into Mini-Monogram. The LV lotus symbol and the intertwined LV’s have been downsized and printed on colored canvas. It’s very fresh, very casual, very young. The innovation has also come in the shapes. The boxy "doctor" bags have an extra wide opening, much like the elastic jaw of a snake, which makes it very easy to find that little notebook buried under your Palm Pilot and just-as-glam cosmetic case, your Louis Vuitton pochette, naturellement! Another interesting innovation is the "3-in-1." It is a slim bag that can be worn as a hand-held tote which can fold into a handy clutch bag that gets a third lease on life with the attachment of shoulder bag straps. And as if to prove that Vuitton is never content to just bask in the glory of its heritage, the handbags come equipped with pockets for cell phones, fast becoming a standard in the newest luxury handbags. For the new Mini-Monogram, Vuitton has also revived that old ladylike classic – the matching handbag and shoes combo. Katherine adds, "This is the first time that we are doing matching bags and shoes." The shoes range from stylized Mary Janes to monogram sneakers.

But Vuitton is not just Monogram. They do it all. Their men’s accessories line has been inspired by the English schoolboy and features bags and backpacks in the most traditional of shapes, reminiscent of period classics Chariots of Fire and Brideshead Revisited. You can just imagine the adorable boys stuffing these bags with English compositions and thick, leather editions of Thomas Macaulay. These are men’s bags that even women will definitely want. They are sleek, functional and discreet (read: cannot be faked and sold in a tiangge!). They have even revived the all-black-football shoe that English schoolboys used to wear to play soccer. The shoelaces had been tied all around the shoe, right down the sole and back up the front again. (The shoes will be sold with extra-long shoelaces for that authentic Eton feeling). Those who know, know that is how the young masters used to wear their spikes. And speaking of spikes, the spikes on these shoes take the chessboard pattern of another LV classic, the Damier line.

This season, Vuitton finally meets the demands of the neglected men’s market. They are launching a line of formal shoes, with black patent slippers and lace-ups. Plus they are launching a tie line, made in plush, sensuous cashmere. There are no monograms on the ties, instead they are mostly in solids and ever-so-traditional stripes. Personally, the best of the tie line is the packaging. When you buy a Vuitton tie, it comes in a superslim tie box in the heaviest brown cardboard that has been embossed with the LV initials. So it combines weight and texture. The perfect gift for the man who has it all but wants more.

Though I am always excited to view new shoes and bags, the stuff that really had me lusting were the boxedset travel guides. These are slim books that have been commissioned by Vuitton for travelers, not tourists. These guides go beyond the usual tourist attractions to list the places that give each world capital its true soul and character.

The Vuitton group has organized a publishing arm and their editors make sure that the author of each guide is a knowledgeable resident of the city being written about. The Paris guide is particularly delightful as it is illustrated by Ruben Toledo, the renowned Cuban fashion illustrator who also collaborated with Vuitton on their carnet de voyage (travel notebook) on New York. The guides continue the unbroken association of Vuitton with travel as they are the premier purveyors of designer luggage. For this new series, each little book is covered in vivid purple and the pages are the same rich cream as the handles of the Monogram line. Gigi Mabanta said that the last series was a popular wedding gift and this new series should prove to be as popular for blushing honeymoon planners as well as jaded and seasoned travelers, always on the lookout for exciting new places.

A Louis Vuitton presentation is never just a presentation. It is a true feast for the senses. Every last detail is letter-perfect: the flowers, the table linens (handcarried by the LV girls all around Asia!), the music, the company. Every Vuitton presentation makes me feel that civilized living endures in Manila, and though such civilized scenes may only come in moments, moments of true grace and charm are always worth the wait.