The return of y2k fashion and the Louis Vuitton Murakami Multicolor handbag

As a millenial I initially found myself rather confused at the thought of my high school fashion being resurrected from the dead and returning into our stores and closets. I thought we had left the Juicy Couture tracksuits, the flared lowrise jeans, and the glittery shirts behind for good - after having swapped them out for minimalist designs, and earthy tones. I remember hearing in the media about how awfully tacky the loud designs of the early 2000's were and I understood the implication of having to avoid wearing them at all costs. Everyone was eager to fit in with the new, "more chic" minimalist movement. And now, some 20 years later, those same loud designs - once labelled tacky and a thing of the past - are suddenly the newest trend?

After a few months of complete rejection, I suddenly found myself growing curious. I had been seeing more and more people dress in y2k fashion on social media and out in the real world- and frankly I thought it started looking.. kinda good? I wondered, if I too could pull off flared jeans and glittery logos again?

Around the same time my new husband wanted to make me a gift - my first ever real designer handbag! When I was a teenager I could only dream of owning a bag from Louis Vuitton. I saw other girls carry them, but my finances would have never allowed for such a price tag. I had never even looked at designer bags for this reason up until that point - and now that I was married to a husband who could afford it, I found myself falling in love with Louis Vuitton instantly- the brand I could never have as a teenager.

Weirdly enough, I didn't even pay much attention to any of the multicolor bags that were coming out - I didn't realize the brand was doing a highly anticipated nostalgic re-release of the iconic multicolor Murakami handbag. And that they had previously been unavailable for 20 years! I was such a newbie to designer bags, that I didn't even realize limited editions were a thing - I believed that more or less the same bags would be available for years! If people liked them - why would they purposely limit the number of bags that they make? Of course by now I have found the answer to this question: It is called clever marketing and leveraging fomo (fear of missing out). If there is only a limited number of a very popular product, people feel extreme urgency to buy NOW - rather than waiting until they have enough money saved. If you think about it, it is pretty genuis - people buy a product at a time they didn't plan to buy - thus increasing profits.

The effects of this marketing strategy could be seen almost immediately - the Murakami bags sold out in a matter of days - only to be listed on theRealReal and Poshmark for double the price - and people were eager to pay it!

I personally missed the first Murakami re-launch entirely - I was too busy being excited about my first ever Monogram Speedy and Monogram Boulogne bag. By the time I owned my first Louis Vuitton bags, my millenial mind had fully embraced that y2k was back. I had ordered my first ever Juicy Couture suit - which I also never owned but only admired as a teenager!

After a few months of browsing resale sites and seeing the multicolor bags listed for double the retail price, I made a decision: If they should ever become available again, I would definitely not be missing out - I would be one of the smart ones who INVEST! Initially I mainly thought about how much money I could potentially make: If I bought 5 multicolor Murakami bags, and sold them all for double on a resale site - I could make around 10'000 dollars easily! It would be a shame to NOT take advantage of such an opportunity!

Part of me anticipated that it would already have been sold out when I returned from the walk - since that was the sentiment I got from hearing about the first launch. I started looking at other available bags: the Pouchette Accessoires - a bag that had never really been on my radar. But it was so iconic! After all Lindsay Lohan carried it in Mean Girls! And besides, it would make a great addition to the bags I already owned- the shape was different from the Boulogne and also the YSL envelope my husband had bought for me.

To my surprise the Alma BB was still available the next day - and the day after that - and the day after that - and the week after that. However I was weirdly pleased to see that the Pochette Accessoires was sold out two days after I had purchased it. Only to be available again the next day - only to be sold out again - only to be available again the next day - and to be sold out as of today, April 11, 2026.

Are they playing with our emotions? Most definitely! Is it a wise financial decision to invest in a Murakami handbag, especially if you have to put it on a credit card? Absolutely not, especially if you tell yourself you are going to sell them and make a profit off of them but end up keeping them all! Am I mad I tricked myself into believing spending thousands of dollars would be a smart move? Not entirely! I am excited for my Alma BB, and also my Speedy. (I ended up getting it for myself, it turned out my husband was in fact able to resist and hadn't taken the plunge). Like so many others I will be waiting months for my Murakami bags to arrive - except for the Pochette Accessoires. Lucky me got that one delivered in just days! I have been carrying her around in our apartement, and I look at her everyday.

Then about half a year later, while casually browsing the Louis Vuitton website, I couldn't believe my eyes: The Murakami Speedy 25, the Murakami Alma BB, and yes - even the Murakami Nano Speedy - all available, and ready to be put into MY shopping cart! I knew I had to act quickly - or at least that's what I thought! Within minutes I found myself typing in my credit card information to buy the Alma BB! When I finished the purchase, I couldn't believe my luck: On one hand I had just purchased an item that would double in value in a matter of weeks, but also I was in full blown nostalgia mode. If I could finally own the bag that I had seen Paris Hilton carry - my life would be .. sort of complete. I immediately texted my husband: the Murakami bags are available! We have to invest, the Speedy, and the Nano Speedy, we need to get them! For some reason I believed that my husband would also not be able to resist, and would have already bought at least one of each just minutes later. After a short walk I went back on the website to check: the Alma was STILL available!

Despite my joy and excitement for these bags I can't help but feel fascinated with this phenomenon. How did I - an initial sceptic - spend all my savings on bags that I had never really planned on buying before? Why did I tell myself I would make money, when in reality I spent over 10'000 dollars? I believe it is much more than just genius marketing and leveraging fomo. It is an opportunity for 30 somethings to finally get the bag that everyone wanted but couldn't afford when they were a teenager. I think this is more profound than we realize - after all the teenage years are one of the most critical times in our lives - it's a time during which we define who we are. A time when we want to fit in more than anything. The hobby psychologist in me thinks that getting the bag can be a way of either trying to fix the past, or reliving it. In my case, my teenage years were the happiest years of my life. Everything was still ahead of me, life seemed simpler. I didn't have to worry about ageing, my finances, politics, or even dating. I personally love how the Murakami bags let my mind escape back to a time where life felt simpler and happier- despite the fact that they completely ruined my bank account.

There she is - my pride and joy, the Pouchette Accessoires! All decorated with Juicy Couture charms of course! And my totally unimpressed Golden Retriever in the background