This Louis Vuitton App Rider Delivery Bag Is Not What You Think It Is

A Louis Vuitton handbag, much like any other piece of LV merchandise, is a status symbol and the guarantee that you’ve “made it.” No wonder then that there are so many LV knockoffs out there, with varied degrees of quality work.

This isn’t technically a knockoff, but could definitely be regarded as one by the Powers That Be at LVMH – the LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton group, one of the biggest conglomerates of luxury goods in the world. Meet the Louis Cleiton Alwaysfull delivery bag, designed specifically for app riders. Actually, it’s not designed for them in the sense that it’s meant to be worn out on delivery rides, but as a means to raise awareness on app riders’ working conditions.

Cleiton is an art collective slash activist group from Brazil whose previous works include chocolate vapes, which favors shock value in their projects, but not at the cost of a solid message. This time, they’re lending their voice to a worthwhile cause, highlighting the poor working conditions of app riders in the country.

We’ve all seen them, since they’re everywhere in the big cities. They ride their bikes, scooters, or motorcycles regardless of the time of day, traffic conditions, or the weather, whether it’s pouring rain or blistering hot, rushing to bring us our food or grocery orders in time. They’re always tired and dirty, but always on time and, ideally, always professional.

In Brazil, an app rider makes annually the same amount you’d pay for one Louis Vuitton bag – of the cheapest model. This serves as the premise of the new Cleiton campaign, which is tagged with “The value that few carry in their hands, many carry on their backs.”

The collective notes that 2022 brought record profits for LVMH worldwide, and considerable job losses in Brazil, due to the economic recession. In turn, this has prompted many people to seek other ways of making ends meet, including by getting informal gigs like app rider food delivery. “In Brazil, there is a big fight for labor rights for app delivery workers, which keep gaining traction,” Cleiton explains.

So how do you draw attention to the issue of the poor working conditions of app riders? The answer involves six genuine Louis Vuitton totes, from whose virtual ashes one custom delivery bag is born. The idea of destroying luxury goods to send a message might seem counter-productive, but it’s bold enough to get the conversation going. Any less of a statement and the point might have been drowned in the surrounding noise.

Cleiton artists took six LV handbags, tore them to pieces – quite literally so – and created a new LV bag they call the Louis Cleiton, or LC for short. The original totes were the Louis Vuitton Neverfull MM canvas tote model, which retails for as much as $3,200 on the second-hand market (in less than stellar condition). It’s among the most common models out there, and instantly recognizable for the distinctive LV brown canvas monogrammed print, cowhand trim, and elegant stitching.

The resulting bag is called Alwaysfull. It’s delivery-ready, offering a hauling capacity of 45 liters (1.6 cubic feet), with styrofoam lining to ensure the food arrives unspoiled to its destination, and several pockets that fold flat when not used. The exact dimensions are 39 x 47 x 40 cm (15.3 x 18.5 x 15.7 inches), so it’s as boxy and large as the delivery bags app riders always carry on their backs. The LV stitching on the handles and the grainy quality of the canvas remains the same, so this delivery bag is also extremely fashionable. Chic, almost.

In keeping with the delivery bag theme, the Louis Cleiton has padded shoulder straps for maximum comfort even when it’s loaded to the maximum capacity. The material is waterproof, to ensure whatever is being carried inside doesn’t get soaking wet in the downpour.

Pricing for the Louis Cleiton delivery bag is a whopping $81,947 for one item, but you get free delivery worldwide for this kind of money. Cleiton notes that each unit will be a fully-custom one, so while each one will require six original Louis Vuittons to make, not a single one will be like the other. A Louis Cleiton has a 90-day production timeline.

The art collective doesn’t mention what it plans to do with the money raised from the sales, but from what we can tell, the offer is a legitimate one, which means that you will be charged once you place an order. The only disclaimer is that “Alwaysfull is an original Cleiton customization and not an authorized Louis Vuitton product.” Obviously, “the brand and the billionaire LVMH group have no involvement in this project.” But we’d bet money they won’t be happy when they hear about it.