Key Points:
- The “Rickshaw Bag” mirrors traditional rickshaw art, featuring bright motifs, mini wheels, and LV’s signature monogram
- The bag highlights a growing global trend of luxury fashion borrowing from South Asian street and folk culture.
ISLAMABAD: In an unexpected twist of wheels and wallets, Pakistan’s famous auto-rickshaw has made an unlikely debut—not in the streets of Karachi or a Lahore bazaar, but on the glimmering runways of Paris.
Enter Louis Vuitton’s “Rickshaw Bag”—a glitzy, miniature three-wheeler transformed into a luxury fashion statement, priced at a jaw-dropping Rs 1.19 crore (approximately $42,000).
Yes, you read that right. The same mode of transport known for its backfiring engines, bold paint jobs, and bustling hustle is now an elite accessory—toted not by everyday commuters, but by high-fashion aficionados in custom LV suits.
A couture rickshaw
Dubbed the “Rickshaw Bag,” this latest accessory from Louis Vuitton’s Spring/Summer 2026 menswear collection is not just a handbag—it is a cultural capsule. Complete with mini handlebars, three dainty wheels, a yellow canopy, and the unmistakable LV monogram splashed on holographic leather, the bag mirrors the classic Pakistani rickshaw with an haute couture twist.
The design draws heavily from the kaleidoscopic art seen across South Asian cities—vibrant motifs, mirror work, and paint that tells vivid stories of love, politics, and pop culture. From poetry stencilled on the back to tigers roaring across the side panels, rickshaw art is a living, breathing gallery on wheels—and now, apparently, on handbags too.
As images of the rickshaw-inspired bags made their runway strut through the social media and fashion magazines, Pakistanis responded with a mix of pride, humour, and a fair share of raised eyebrows.
“Did this bag just colonise me?” read one viral tweet, summing up the uneasy admiration many feel. On the one hand, there is awe at seeing something so quintessentially Pakistani on the global fashion stage.
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A moving masterpiece
In Pakistan, rickshaws are not just a way to get from point A to B—they are expressions of personal identity, social commentary, and even spiritual belief. Each vehicle is hand-painted—often over weeks—and carries verses, portraits, and vibrant imagery reflecting the driver’s dreams and the city’s pulse.
What once started as embellishment has evolved into a folk-art tradition. “My father painted rickshaws for 35 years,” says Lahore-based artist Shehzad Gul. “It’s a form of pride. Now that same style is on a Louis Vuitton bag—maybe the world is finally seeing the beauty we’ve always known.”
Folk goes global
This is not the first time South Asia’s rich visual culture has strutted into luxury circles. Dolce & Gabbana played with South Asian truck art aesthetics in a 2019 campaign. Prada’s Kolhapuri-inspired sandals stirred conversation just last year. Now, Louis Vuitton’s rickshaw bag continues the trend, blending street art with high-end fashion.
From fashion runways to drawing rooms, rickshaw art is finding new life. Local brands like Khaadi have long celebrated the aesthetic in their prints. Initiatives like the Peace Rickshaw project use these mobile murals to spread messages of tolerance. And now, with Louis Vuitton on board, the rickshaw is no longer just a ride—it is a runway-ready relic of culture.
Beyond the bag
While fashionistas may flock to own this miniature rickshaw, critics warn against glamorising without giving due credit to the cultures and artists behind the designs. A broader conversation is brewing around cultural sustainability: how can global brands celebrate without erasing or silencing?
As the rickshaw bag glimmers under Parisian lights, the question remains: will the artisans behind the inspiration finally get their spotlight?
If nothing else, this shiny, wheeled purse reminds us that inspiration often comes from the most unexpected places—like a noisy, hand-painted, three-wheeled ride buzzing through the streets of Lahore. And now, that ride has gone couture.
