African-"inspired" R52,000 designer bag causes social media uproar
The design bears an eerie resemblance to a bag that South Africans have used for generations.
Louis Vuitton is one of the world's most renowned and largest luxury brands.
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The brand can easily be spotted thanks to its iconic handbags, with the most coveted designs prominently featuring the LV logo throughout the bag.
Anyone who has dreamt of the finer things in life has hopes of owning an LV item.
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If you are looking to purchase your first Louis Vuitton bag, consider this limited-edition design, which features a distinctly South African aesthetic.
The designer bag, which was on sale for $3,000 (approximately R52,000), may be out of your price range, but the good news is that you may already have one at home.
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You've probably seen this similar design being carried around on the streets, in malls and in other African countries.
The fancy people at Louis Vuitton are calling it a tote bag, but in SA it's fondly referred to as the Machangane Bag, No Problem bag, and across West Africa it's known as the 'Ghana Must Go' bag.
In SA, you can purchase one of these from anywhere between R40 and R200, which makes the simple LV design and price tag seem even more ludicrous.
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The phrase 'Ghana Must Go' might seem like a joke, but it carries significant weight.
In 1983, Nigeria expelled 2 million undocumented immigrants.
Half of them were Ghanaian.
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Families had to leave as quickly as possible and packed their lives into these woven bags.
Assistant Professor at Yale University and historian Dr Nana Osei Quarshie writes in 'Africa Is a Country': "The bag is more than luggage. It’s a symbol of survival and displacement.”
Luxury brands have been known to take "inspiration" from all around the world, but especially Africa.
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Louis Vuitton has also been at the centre of another controversy, when it released a menswear design for its autumn/winter collection in 2012, featuring large scarves inspired by Basotho patterns.
They followed that with a menswear collection called "Basotho Plaid" in 2017, with certain items priced at more than $2,400 (R41,200).
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These collections sparked outrage by local designers and others who felt LV could have taken the opportunity to collaborate with the Basotho people when developing its collections.
Their take on the 'Ghana Must Go' bag has caused another stir.
@charmainesposts Fashion’s had a long history of copying struggle and selling it back as style. In 2016 Balenciaga dropped a £1,600 version of this same bag. In South Africa it’s been called the Refugee Bag. In New York it’s known as the Chinatown Tote. But only one version carries the name of an actual deportation order. Ghana Must Go wasn’t just a nickname. It was state policy. And to this day, the trauma still sits in family photo albums, in oral history, in memory. So far Louis Vuitton haven’t acknowledged any of that. No statement. No tribute. No investment in the communities they pulled from. So we have to ask the question ourselves. Talk to me in the comments. Hit repost if your family still owns one. #louisvuitton #ghanamustgo #ghanatiktok🇬🇭 #nigeria ♬ original sound - charmainesposts
Other comments on social media:
- "Looks like a money laundering scheme".
- "Louis vuitton must stay ❌ $3000 Ghana must go✅".
- "We as Africans are giving Louis Vuitton 72 hours to give credits to Africa for this bag's design".
The bag was part of Louis Vuitton's Spring/Summer 2007 Collection and is no longer available on any of the brand's websites.
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Image: @ahmstephen_/X