Some things get better with age, and Louis Vuitton’s Alma bag is a prime example of that. The handbag has existed in various forms for over 120 years, evolving from a practical piece of luggage to a one-of-a-kind bag to an everyday essential, and it’s still as stylish as ever.
The Alma’s ancestry can be traced back to 1901, when Louis Vuitton introduced the Steamer, a trapezoidal-shaped travel bag with compartments to separate clean linen from that which had been worn. Until then, transatlantic travellers had had to make do with a linen bag and separate night bag. The Steamer’s unique shape would be the inspiration for the modern Alma, but not until a few more iterations had come to fruition.
Reportedly, we have Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel to thank for turning the Steamer into something more portable. The story goes that in 1925, the designer issued a commission to Gaston-Louis Vuitton to design her a bespoke, dome-shaped bag, inspired by the Steamer but for everyday wear. Chanel’s one-of-a-kind creation featured interlocking CCs, making it the first and only collaboration (of sorts) between the houses.
In 1934, with Coco Chanel’s blessing, Vuitton made a CC-less version of the bag available for general purchase and named it the Squire. Defined by elegant structure and a practical yet chic design, this compact bag would be the precursor for both the Champs-Élysées bag (a more streamlined model introduced in 1955 and subsequently discontinued) and, most importantly, the Alma – although it would be another 58 years until that happened.
The 1990s was a golden decade for iconic bags, begetting the likes of the Dior Saddle, the Fendi Baguette and, you guessed it, the Louis Vuitton Alma. In 1992, the house’s 1930s bag was revisited, refined and relaunched for the modern era, offering a more structured alternative to the popular Speedy.
Named after the Place de l’Alma in Paris, the Alma made its debut in Vuitton’s signature Monogram canvas. It was finished with two top handles and a lock and key, designed to protect one’s daily possessions – a far cry from the linen the 1900s Steamer had once transported. The era’s It girls, including Paris Hilton, Rihanna, Blake Lively, and Kirsten Dunst, all approved. Paris and Rihanna continue to wear theirs, and the Alma has won new-generation fans such as Kendall Jenner.
Over the years, the Alma was reimagined in the house’s chequered Damier Ebene canvas and glossy Monogram Vernis, as well as textured Épi leather in a veritable rainbow of colours. Like many of Vuitton’s iconic bags, it has also been offered up as canvas to a whole host of artists, resulting in rare collectors’ editions that look as good on display as they do on one’s arm. During Marc Jacobs’ tenure as creative director at Louis Vuitton, Japanese artist Takashi Murakami turned the Alma’s Monogram canvas technicolour, while Stephen Sprouse had it graffitied. Long-term Vuitton collaborator Yayoi Kusama has splashed the bag with her signature ‘Infinity Dots’ and pumpkin motifs, most recently adorning it with painterly spots and dreamlike characters.
One of the Alma’s most iconic iterations came in 2006, when the Alma Miroir debuted in metallic, monogram-stamped vinyl, much to the delight of fashion magpies. Fans included Rihanna and Paris Hilton, who was pictured the year the bag launched with her then lesser-known friend, Kim Kardashian, each toting an Alma in gold and silver, respectively.
2010 was a big year for the Alma, as that’s when it was shrunken to its incredibly popular ‘BB’ size and bestowed with a removable, long strap, for optional crossbody wear. There are also the PM and MM sizes, which are more capacious – but certainly not ludicrously so. Like your bags teeny-tiny? You’ll need to brush up your sleuthing skills if you want to track down the Nano Alma in Épi leather; originally released for a fleeting time, it’s a rare style.
For autumn 2023, there are new arrivals to enhance even the most comprehensive of Alma collections. Notable mentions go to the Alma BB Broderie Anglaise (currently available in-store and on-site), featuring cut-out detailing that takes cues from the traditional needlework technique; the Alma BB Malletage, its criss-cross design inspired by the linings of the first Louis Vuitton trunks; and the Alma BB Monopaname, which features ‘Louis Vuitton’ in the style of a Parisian street style, with the date the house was founded. The latter will be available to purchase from the end of July.
The Alma is 31 years old – after almost a century in the making – and it doesn’t look a day over Gen Z. Sprayed with Sprouse’s graffiti tag or foiled in mirrored vinyl, it’s proof that change is good; in classic Monogram canvas, it is an enduring example of timeless design. If it’s good enough for both Coco and Paris, it’s good enough for us.
