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 get 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 re-release of the multicolor handbags. And that they had previously been unavailable for 20 years! I was such a newbie to designer bags, that I didn't even know limited editions were such a thing - I believed that the same bags would be available for years - more or less! If people liked them - why would any brand purposely limit the number of bags that they make? Of course, by now I have found the answer to that question: It is called clever marketing and leveraging fomo (fear of missing out). If there is only a limited number of a very popular item, people feel extreme urgency to buy NOW - rather than waiting until they have enough money saved, or they feel "the time is right". If you think about it, it is pretty genuis: people buy a product at a time they hadn't planned 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 of their retail 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 fashion was back. I ordered my first ever Juicy Couture suit - which I had also never owned but always admired as a teenager!

After a few months of browsing resale sites and seeing the multicolor bags listed for 5000 and sometimes 6000 dollars, 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! I fantasized a lot about how much money I could theoretically make: If I bought a few Murakami bags from Louis Vuitton and then sold them all for double the price - I could make around 10'000 dollars or more! It would be a shame to NOT take advantage of such an opportunity! Besides the bags' high value on resale sites, I slowly became fixated on their look - the more I saw them, the more obsessed I became!

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 I knew how iconic it was! 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 I had. I ended up purchasing it that same evening - which meant I had bought two bags from Louis Vuitton in one day. I used the money from my own separate bank account for one of the bags (not a particularly stacked account I might add), and my own credit card for the other! It almost felt illegal - it was irresponsible and I knew it.

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 of them were 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 I believed 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!

I personally love how the Murakami bags let my mind escape back to a time where life felt happier- or at least that's how I view it retroactively. I truly enjoy that feeling, despite the fact that these purchases completely ruined my bank account. I think my final verdict is this: get the bag if it brings you joy and if it won't ruin you financially. At the same time, realize when it is time to stop and protect your finances. I am personally in a lucky position, since my husband makes good money. I will be able to pay off my credit card and rebuild my savings without struggling - but if I was on my own, spending all my savings and going into debt for these bags would have been an awful decision!

To my surprise the Alma BB was still available when I checked 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 only 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 so forth and so on. As of today, April 11, 2026, the Pouchette Accessoires is sold out, but the Speedy 25, the Nano Speedy and the Alma BB are all still available in the multicolor monogram on the Louis Vuitton website. While this is great news for the people who want to get one of these bags, the big elephant in the room can't be ignored: a bag that was once scarce and now isn't drops in value.

Are they playing with our emotions and leveraging artificial scarcety? 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 - and telling yourself you are going to sell it and make a profit won't change that, especially if the bag ends up being not quite as scarce after all - or you decide to keep it! 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 it delivered in just days, since they had it in stock! I have been carrying her around in our appartement, and I look at her everyday - so far I have been thrilled.

Louis Vuitton multicolor Alma BB, re-release 2026

Lindsay Lohan carrying a multicolor Pouchette Accessoires and a Juicy Couture zip-up hoodie, Mean Girls, 2004

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

Despite my joy and excitement for these bags, I can't help but feel fascinated with this whole phenomenon. How did I - an initial y2k hater - 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 get THE quintessential bag of the early 2000's. The bag Paris Hilton and Britney Spears were carrying. A bag everyone wanted, but nobody could afford as a teenager. I think this is more profound than we realize - after all the teenage years are one of the most critical times of our lives - it's a time during which we define who we are. A time when we want to fit in more than anything. I believe buying this bag tricks our minds into believing we can go back in time and finally participate. An opportunity to be in the in group, rather than having to watch from the sidelines. The hobby psychologist in me thinks that getting this bag can be a way of either trying to fix the past, or reliving it to the fullest. 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.

Paris Hilton carrying a Louis Vuitton multicolor handbag, early 2000's

As much as I have become a fan of designer, I believe it is always healthy to walk in the light of this important truth: luxury brands love to leverage marketing to the point you feel honored to spend thousands of dollars on something you never needed. I willingly fell victim to this effect firsthand. I still believe enjoying certain brands is fine - but in moderation. As with a lot of things I believe it's the amount that makes the poison.

Jessica Simpson carrying a multicolor Louis Vuitton Speedy, early 2000's