Rei Kawakubo is clearly embracing the spirit of
cooperation these days. In addition to her much hyped H&M collaboration,
which hits stores in November, the Comme des Garçons designer has teamed
up with Louis Vuitton to create a capsule collection of evening bags.
The six designs are Vuitton monogram styles that Kawakubo customized
with charms and multistranded leather handles. But don’t expect to see
her bags at your local Vuitton boutique. They can be ordered only at a
temporary, Kawakubo-designed Vuitton store in Tokyo’s trendy Aoyama
district that will be open through mid-December. Those who buy will have
to be patient, not a quality fashionistas are known for. Once ordered,
the bags—which range from 78,750 yen, or about $726, to 194,250 yen, or
about $1,790—won’t be available for six to nine months.