Belorussian designer Dzmitry Samal created this concept bag for Louis Vuitton.  The Structural Bag is a cage version of the iconic Vuitton Keepall style, made out of the same better-with-age leather that the French house uses for straps and accents on its monogram line.

When they came out, the Vuitton canvas pieces were innovative for their light weight and use of a plain material in a luxurious finish.  Now it’s a little sad to see the monogram as a symbol of complacent status rather than mischievous iconoclasm.  The Samal piece points out how the monogram line evolved in relation to the consumer market.  The luxury is still in the leather and hardware, and the innovation is restored once the tired monogram is somehow eliminated.  I also like the play on the idea of packing itself; the extra diagonal leather straps look like packing tape.

The cage concept reminds me of Jean Paul Gaultier‘s work.  In the 1980s, he translated suiting into the language of corset boning, creating pieces that look like cages.  His fall 2008 couture show features several looks that extend this concept.

Dzmitry Samal via DesignBoom
Gaultier photos via NY Mag

Tags: Dzmitry Samal, Fashion/Design, Jean Paul Gaultier, Louis Vuitton, product design