Louis Vuitton x Karl Lagerfeld Iconoclasts Punching Bag GM M40231, Monogram Canvas with Gold Chain Straps

Karl Lagerfeld's wry answer to the 2014 Celebrating Monogram brief: a boxing bag shrunk to a shoulder bag, cut in Monogram canvas and hung from heavy gilt chains.

The Piece

In 2014 Louis Vuitton marked the 118th birthday of its Monogram by inviting six outsiders, the Iconoclasts, to reinterpret the canvas. Karl Lagerfeld answered with a full-size punching bag in a trunk, and with this wearable version: the Punching Bag GM, model M40231. It is one of the most recognisable and witty pieces of the series, and it has quietly become a collector's bag rather than a seasonal one.

The silhouette is the joke and the genius. A tall, rounded cylinder in Monogram coated canvas tapers like a training bag, finished with natural cowhide leaf tabs, a dome base with leather piping, and a full-length zip running down one side. Two chunky gold-tone chains with natural leather shoulder pads carry it on the shoulder, so the bag hangs exactly as a punching bag would from a gym ceiling.

Inside, a beige textile lining holds two zip pockets and one open pocket. Interior heat stamp reads Louis Vuitton Paris, made in France, with date code RI2184. The proportions are generous enough for a day's essentials, yet the form stays sculptural on the body.

The vachetta has taken on a warm honey patina, which suits the vintage-gym humour of the design. Worn on the shoulder it reads as both instantly Louis Vuitton and slightly subversive, which is precisely what Lagerfeld intended.

Details

• Designer: Louis Vuitton x Karl Lagerfeld
• Season: 2014 Celebrating Monogram, Iconoclasts
• Model / ref: Punching Bag GM, M40231, date code RI2184
• Material: Monogram coated canvas, natural cowhide trim, gold-tone chain
• Colour: Monogram brown, honey vachetta, gold-tone hardware
• Made in: France
• Tagged size: GM
• Measurements: Width 25 cm · Height 40 cm · Depth 19 cm · Handle drop approx. 70 cm
• Included: Bag only

Condition

• Canvas clean and structured, with no cracking at the corners or base piping.
• Vachetta handles, tabs and pull have an even honey patina with light marks.
• A small repair is visible at the root of the zip pull tab.
• Chains show light surface wear consistent with use.
• Lining clean with minor handling marks.

Condition grade AB on the Japanese scale; see Japanese condition ranks, explained.

Authenticity & Care

Date code, Monogram alignment, heat stamp, vachetta trim, stitching and hardware engraving are examined together and documented in Japan before dispatch. Every piece carries the Japonista authenticity guarantee. Store stuffed and upright in a dust bag, away from sunlight, and keep the vachetta dry.

Delivery from Japan

Packed by hand in Japan and shipped insured and tracked by EMS or an equivalent express service. Import duties and taxes, where applicable, are payable on arrival. Every sale is final; please ask anything before you buy, and see our published policy.

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