Style Guide: Louis Vuitton Pochette Accessoires
This time we're guiding you through everything related to the Pochette Accessoires from Louis Vuitton. How did it come to be and why does it look like it does? How do you style it and what colors does it come in? Read all about it below.
The birth and rise of the Pochette Accessoires
Today, the Pochette Accessoires is a staple in any fashion lovers wardrobe and to be honest, it’s always been a fan favorite.
The now iconic bag was first released in 1992 in stark contrast to the bags from the 80’s which where characterized by glamour, opulence and innovative design. Louis Vuitton introduced the Pochette Accessoires in a line of accessories to accompany their collection of larger bags. The smaller bag however caught enough traction on its own and quickly became the ‘it’ bag of the 90s and early 2000s.
As seen on
When the Pochette Accessoires was popular in the 90s and early 2000s it was spotted on all the ‘it’ girls! Think Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie and Raven Symone as well as Sarah Jessica Parker, Carrie Bradshaw herself.
The late 90s and early 2000s – known as Y2K – have made a massive comeback in the last couple of years and the Pochette Accessoires have crept into all the fashion girlies wardrobes yet again. Just like when the bag originally came out, you can once again see it on the likes of ‘it’ girls of today – Bella Hadid, Lily-Rose Depp and Kendall Jenner for example.
The inspiration behind the icon
In French, ‘pochette’ means pouch which explains the shape of the bag. It’s a rectangular pouch with a zip closure with a simple removable shoulder strap. It’s possible to buy a longer strap if you prefer to wear it crossbody and because of the removable shoulder strap you can also opt for wearing it as a clutch.
Measurements
The small bag is created to fit a Zippy wallet as well as other smaller essentials, but Louis Vuitton has also launched two even smaller versions of the bag – the Mini and Micro Pochette Accessoires. The Mini has a detachable gold chain and is therefor – like the Pochette – multifunctional. The Micro Pochette has no strap but works as the perfect pouch for your cards and keys.
The Pochette Accessoires measures 23.5 x 13.5 x 4 cm (length x height x width), the Mini Pochette measures 15.5 x 10.5 x 4 cm and the Micro 11 x 7 x 2 cm.
Photos: brooke_f & ellaamalmgren
Materials
As of now, you can buy the iconic handbag in Damier Azur Canvas and Monogram Canvas on the Louis Vuitton website. If you were intrigued by the Mini Pochette Accessoires, that’s available in Monogram Vernis and Bicolour Monogram Empreinte as well.
If you’re looking to find a vintage Pochette Accessoires you have more options in regards to materials. The icon has previously been available in Monogram Vernis and Empriente leather – just like the Mini still is – as well as different colors of Epi leather.
All Pochette Accessoires will have golden color metallic pieces as well as textile lining.
Photos: louisvuitton.com
Collaborations
The bag has been a canvas for numerous collaborations between Louis Vuitton and artists of all kind including Takashi Murakami and Yayoi Kusama.
Stephen Sprouse is another artist who’s worked with the French fashion house. Under Marc Jacobs – artistic director at Louis Vuitton from 1997-2004 – direction, Sprouse opted to do a graffiti collection as part of Louis Vuitton's Spring/Summer 2001 collection. Because this collection was such a hit, Marc Jacobs decided to do a another collab with Sprouse in 2009 – posthumously as Sprouse passed in 2004 due to cancer. Jacobs payed homage to the late artist by adorning Louis Vuitton items with a rose based on a sketch Sprouse had drawn during the pairs first collaboration in 2001.
Photo: purseblog.com
Takashi Murakami created a limited edition multicolor Pochette for the Spring/Summer 2003 collection which has proven to be one of the most coveted designs for the bag. This came about when Marc Jacobs decided to collaborate with Murakami, who at the time was one of the worlds most celebrated contemporary artists. Murakami’s collection of Pochette Accessoires was fittingly named the Monogram Multicolore collection. With this collection. Murakami infused the normally very muted brand with a hint of color – pink, yellow, green, red and 29 other colors on a black or white coated canvas backdrop. Today, with the revival of the 90s and 2000s this bags is especially wanted by girls and women all over the world.
The multicolor bag was however not the only outcome of the collaboration between Murakami and the French brand. Because of the massive success of the Monogram Multicolore collection, Murakami was invited back for no less than six other collaborations. In 2003 he did Cherry Blossom, in 2004 Panda, in 2005 Cerises, in 2007 MOCA Hands for an exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles, in 2008 Monogramouflage and lastly in 2010 he did Cosmic Blossom. Regina George – played by Rachel McAdams – carried the Cherry Blossom Pochette Accessoires in the 2004 smash hit film ‘Mean Girls’.
The collaboration(s) with Murakami is the brand’s most iconic and longstanding collaboration to date.
Photo: gabriellaberdugo
Yayoi Kusama worked with the brand and Marc Jacobs in 2012 on a collection that coincided with her retrospective exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. The collection was fittingly named Dots Infinity and included of ready-to-wear, footwear, accessories and bags – the Pochette Accessoires to name one – all covered in Kusama’s signature dots.
The artist is set to collaborate with the French brand again in 2023 in honor of the first collaboration’s 10 year anniversary. The collaboration debuted in San Diego for the brands Cruise 2023 show in June 2022.
Urs Fischer collaborated with Louis Vuitton in 2019 to reimagine the Artycapucines bag and the artist came back for more in 2021. This time around, he chose to reinterpret the well-known French monogram in an enlarged and hand drawn version he calls “memory sketches”. All the monograms and flowers are created using a tufting technique giving the bag a new look and feel. This collaboration was available in white/black and black/red.
Louis Vuitton has done a plethora of collaborations since their first one in 2001 including Jeff Koons, the Chapman Brothers, Cindy Sherman and more, but not all of them have involved the Pochette Accessoires.
Photo: louisvuitton.com
What can you use it for?
The Pochette Accessoires is a small bag, so it’s definitely not the bag to bring if you’re carrying a lot of stuff with you. Anywhere you go where you only need your wallet, key, phone and a lipstick, the Pochette Accessoires will be an excellent choice. This could be brunch with your friends, date night with your partner or a museum with your family – the choice is yours.
Seeing as you can choose to carry the bag in a plethora of ways – as mentioned above – the styling options are endless. The same goes for materials as well! Because the classic bag is available in so many colors, it’ll fit just about any aesthetic. As seen previously, Bella Hadid opted to wear her yellow Epi leather one on vacation for a very summery look.
If you’re more into the classic version in the brown monogram, you can look to Lily-Rose Depp for inspiration as she’s without a doubt, the French ‘it’ girl of the moment. Her style is timeless, classic and effortless.
As Y2K has made a massive comeback, the Louis Vuitton x Takashi Murakami collection Multicolore Monogram is back in high demand. If you’re a feminine girl with a love for everything naughtiest, this version will be just the one for you.
Care
In order to keep your Pochette Accessoires looking fresh and new, you have to put in a bit of work – especially if this is your everyday bag. If you’re the type of person who loves buying and selling designer items, it’s also important to take care of your purchase, so it holds its value.
If your bag is made of canvas (Damier Azur Canvas or Monogram Canvas) you should wipe it clean on a regular basis. If you’ve opted for a Pochette Accessoires in leather (Epi or Empreinte) you should also apply a leather conditioner and cleanser on the leather areas of the bag.
To make sure that the strap stays fresh, you should also remember to wipe that down. To further avoid stains, you should never touch this if you’ve just applied hand lotion or hand sanitizer.
Sales associates with Louis Vuitton have also stated that white bags should be stored in dust bags and not boxes in order to not stain or turn yellow when not in use.
