The Alma’s curve is only half the idea. Below it sits a firm horizontal base, giving the bag the appearance of having decided where it belongs. Rounded top, defined corners, paired handles: the arrangement is remarkably composed. Against the softer Speedy, it makes a good case for structure as a form of personality.
Louis Vuitton’s own chronology distinguishes the earlier Squire design from the later Alma name. I prefer that untidy, developing history to a perfectly polished origin myth. A shape can evolve before the name by which we know it settles into place. The curve is still the part my eye returns to.
The house’s connections to Paris lend the architecture an appropriate setting. For a client advisor, the zipper’s reach and the way the handles fall offer useful points of entry. The Lady Dior is another bag that enjoys standing upright, though it arrives at its composure by a different route.