Louis Vuitton City Steamer

The City Steamer, designed by Nicolas Ghesquière in 2015, translates the DNA of Louis Vuitton's historical Steamer trunks (1901) into a handbag. All taurillon grained leather, rigid frame, brass clasp with padlock and saddle-stitched handles: it is the most "trunk" piece in the contemporary catalogue, sitting between luxury bag and archive object.

Three sizes: PM, MM, GM

The City Steamer PM (33 × 25 × 14 cm) is the most versatile — carried by hand or on the shoulder. The City Steamer MM (39 × 27 × 16 cm) takes an A4 file and a laptop. The City Steamer GM (45 × 31 × 17 cm) tips into soft luggage. The rarer City Steamer Mini wears as a crossbody or short-strap shoulder bag. Each piece ships with a rigid signed shoulder strap and a Vachetta luggage tag.

Leathers: taurillon, suede, exotics

The most common version is taurillon — a thick, full-grain calfskin that wears exceptionally well and gives the bag its structure. Rarer editions include suede (velvety but stain-prone), ostrich and crocodile by special order. Black, cherry red and nude cream are the most sought-after colours on the secondary market.

Pre-owned vs retail pricing

A new City Steamer PM in taurillon retailed above €4,000 in boutique. On JoliCloset, authenticated examples typically sit between €1,200 and €2,200 depending on size and condition — a 40 to 60 % saving versus retail. For a comparable structured silhouette, also explore our Capucines and Twist selections.

Authentication

The City Steamer carries the "LOUIS VUITTON" mark engraved on the brass clasp plaque, a signed numbered padlock with two keys, a Vachetta luggage tag stamped "LV" and a two-letter four-digit date code heat-stamped inside (pre-2021 models) or an embedded RFID chip (2021 onwards). Our experts also verify the regular saddle-stitch (stitch by stitch), taurillon grain quality and internal stamp consistency.