The Louis Vuitton ICON GO-14 is an Ode to the Nicolas Ghesquière Era

Nicolas Ghesquière has always been ahead of his time; he's the bonafide king of the time warp and innovating classic and historical silhouettes and products. His work at Louis Vuitton women's since 2014 has always, however, managed to be completely contemporary. The new ICON ‘GO-14’ bag, named after Ghesquière's debut S/S 15 (October 2014) collection, is a testament to how the designer brings Vuitton's heritage alive.

Revisited for the A/W 23 collection, the new ICON ‘GO-14’ bag launches in stores today. Taking the codes from the core of Vuitton's heritage as a trunk-maker, Ghesquière goes back to the malletage crisscross pattern he has made his own LV signature.

Malletage was traditionally used for the inside of trunks to keep a travelling businessperson's documents in place; Ghesquière's genius is to find these moments of great design, and re-apply them elsewhere. For the new ICON GO-14, the malletage is used on the outer of the bag, exaggerated and embedded in the padded lambskin by way of stitching. Its padded surface makes this a versatile, everyday bag, handheld or over the shoulder with a new jewel chain, available in a range of sizes from large to mini.

'There are some universal codes that exist solely in Louis Vuitton. It was about reappropriating and transposing them into a new setting,' the designer explains.