Louis Vuitton will start selling $42,000 NFT suitcases

• Louis Vuitton’s luggage lines have been a staple of the brand for over 160 years
• But it seems it has entered a new phase after revealing a “phygital” collection
• The expensive suitcases will give buyers access to future products and experiences

Louis Vuitton luggage lines have been a staple of the luxury brand for more than 160 years.

But it seems that it has now entered a new phase after revealing that it will soon start selling NFT trunks for $42,000.

The “phygital” collection, titled Treasure Trunks, will give buyers access to future products and experiences, as well as unite with other buyers.

The new line will hit the market later this month, but those interested will have to be quick, as only several hundred will be made available.

Customers interested in purchasing a trunk must register on a waiting list before June 8 by connecting their cryptocurrency wallets.

They will be invited to make their final purchase a short time later – and will also receive a made-to-order physical copy of the trunk.

But it seems Louis Vuitton is keen to limit access.

Holders will not be able to return their case, nor will they be able to sell or give it to another person – with the brand referring to them as “soul bound collectibles” to promote customer loyalty.

Once the trunk is acquired, customers will also be able to purchase a series of bespoke ‘keys’ which will then unlock access to additional products – all of which come with proof of authenticity.

But it’s not the brand’s first foray into the NFT market, having previously released Louis the Game in August 2021.

The free-to-play experience aimed to educate about the brand’s history and rewarded those who participated with 30 free digital postcards.

However, LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault had previously hinted that the brand would use the NFT technologies on its high-end goods.

“We have to see what will be the uses of the metaverse and NFTs,” he said at the time.

“It can undoubtedly have a positive impact – if it’s done well – on the activity of the brands, but it’s not our goal to sell virtual sneakers for $10. We are not interested in that.’

The NFT launch is part of a longer-term project for the brand called Via – Latin for road – which aims to act as an elite pathway to products and experiences unavailable to others, according to Vogue.

It’s also probably no coincidence that Louis Vuitton has enlisted early NFT adopter Pharrell Williams as its men’s creative director following the passing of Virgil Abloh, who previously held the role, in 2021.