One might have thought that the eternal darling of concepts would eventually manage to surprise us with something other than déjà vu. But no he tirelessly falls back into the same habits, and his latest bag arrives with a strong sense of déjà vu, to say the least. It’s astonishingly similar to the bag created by Maison Monnier in 2013; same silhouette, same spirit.

Fashion history is a palimpsest everyone borrows from everyone else. But there’s such a thing as a subtle homage, a discreet echo, an intelligent reference… and then there’s a copy-paste wrapped in Provençal flair, photographed at sunset as if the golden light could dissolve the similarities.

The worst part is the way the marketing discourse tries to pass this bag off as poetry, though poetry has its limits, which are quickly reached when voluntary amnesia comes into play. When fashion recycles, it shines; when it repeats without saying so, it irritates. And with this bag, the provincial seems to have confused inspiration with imitation, as usual. And let’s hope this one holds up better than the Chiquito such a cute “made in China” bag to die for, yet of terribly poor quality.

FM