1 week Ago By [email protected]
Louis Vuitton wants to help you catch Zs in style. The French maison just unveiled two new versions of its iconic bed trunk designed by artistic director of the women’s collections Nicolas Ghesquière and men’s creative director Pharrell Williams , respectively. The modern successors are based on the 19th-century original but have a contemporary twist.
Louis Vuitton invented the first bed trunk in 1868 to help explorers sleep more comfortably on journeys across the globe. The design, which was protected by a patent in 1885, was subsequently showcased at many world fairs and international exhibitions. It became very popular with travelers, as did LV’s military bed trunk.
The house announced the rerelease of the bed trunk last April, unveiling a fresh iteration covered with the classic LV monogram canvas. The Classic Bed Trunk features a folding bed frame made of aluminum and beechwood, a thick, four-part mattress, and a memory foam mattress topper. The trunk is equipped with the same woven cotton straps as the original, which can be used to secure a traveler’s personal effects.
A beechwood bedside table can also be added to the bed frame to create space for accouterments. The two latest editions are similar in design to the Classic Bed Trunk but have been reimagined by Ghesquière and Williams. Ghesquière’s piece features a futuristic exterior inspired by his Cruise collection from 2023.
The trunk is adorned with engraved metal plates and modernized corner pieces that create a dystopian sci-fi feel. The interior is the polar opposite, with the mattress decorated in a dreamy, floral pattern similar to one from Ghesquière’s Spring-Summer 2018 collection. This juxtaposition between harsh metals and soft florals is at once surprising and striking.
Williams decided to reinterpret a historic bed trunk from the archives in his signature, dandy style. The trunk (pictured top) showcases a distressed striped pattern inspired by the legendary canvas from 1872. Stripes also appear on the interior, while the jacquard mattress and pillow feature “LV Lovers” embroidery.
(Pharrell has added the Lovers branding to many of his new designs.) Louis Vuitton has labeled it “a unique collector’s piece.” The Nicolas Ghesquière Bed Trunk will be on display at the Louis Vuitton store in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, France, from September 20 to October 6, while the Pharrell Williams Bed Trunk will be on show at the Savoir Rêver Louis Vuitton event at the Hôtel Cheval Blanc in Paris from September 21 to October 4.
(Both events are by invitation only.) The trunks are also available to order, with Ghesquière costing roughly $257,000 and Pharrell’s priced at about $221,000. Click here to see all the photos of the bed trunks.
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