It’s a Jungle Out There
Under the leather tab of every Speedy P9 is an animal icon, an icon that makes this It Bag that much more iconic. Luxury lore has it that the animals are Easter eggs. A new one sneaks on the scene every season, hidden in plain sight—unless you know where to find it. Here’s a hint: Lift the tab. If you don’t have a Speedy P9—yet—let’s take a closer look together.
Getting up to Speed
Originally a men’s travel bag, the Speedy has gone places since its debut in 1930. When Pharrell Williams took over as the Men’s Creative Director for Louis Vuitton in 2023, he fast-tracked the Speedy from entry-level Louis Vuitton to unicorn with the Speedy P9.
Haute Tip: Learn more about the Speedy here.
His Speedy is a love letter to Canal Street knockoffs, swapping coated canvas for buttery leather and screen-printed monograms so saturated they made the fakes look tame. Even wilder, he turned them into a color-coded menagerie, with animals stamped under the tab and spun out as separate charms.
Pharrell’s Animal Kingdom
The animal blind stamps carry covert meanings and add another layer to the Speedy P9 story. Ready for your haute safari?
SS24: The Dove
Harbinger of peace, this lovebird marks new beginnings. As the first animal to secretly grace the Speedy P9, it could not be more fitting. The Spring/Summer 2024 Speedy P9s were introduced primarily in primary colors: classic Monogram, Green, Blue, Red, and Jaune Mat. These are your clues when catching a Dove. Take it under your wings and soar. Pharrell did when he carried it over to the next one.
FW24: The Horse
In Fall/Winter 2024, Pharrell hit the ground running with new eye-catching Speedy P9s, this time in Turquoise, Amethyst, and Pink/Purple, plus ultra-rare ostrich leather versions in Cactus, Canyon, and Red Rocks. And what animal galloped in incognito: the horse, a signifier of strength. The Wild West theme ran throughout the Men’s FW24 show, and the horse blind stamp? Well, it ran wild and unnoticed by many… until now.
SS25: The Lion
The king of the jungle reigned supreme for Spring/Summer 2025 and oh-so-surreptitiously. A lionhearted visionary himself, Pharrell chose the lion as a symbol of courage. If a lion is your Louis spirit animal, you can find it prowling in the Frozen Lime, Lemonade, Summer Peach, Candy, Ultra Black, and (ultra-rare) Orange Speedy P9s. For the more exotic hunter, ostrich leather versions in Black Carbone and Leaf roam wild—if you can catch them.
FW25: The Lobster
Fall/Winter 2025 was Lobster season for Pharrell. From clutches to claws, this crustacean crawled everywhere, including under the Speedy P9. Synonymous with luxury, the lobster represents resilience, shaped by cycles of shedding and renewal. If you’re lobster diving, you’ll find one burrowed beneath the tabs of the Speedy P9 in Green Sancha, Yuzu, Pink Sakura, Indigo, and Gold Kintsugi.
Call of the Wild
You don’t have to go far to hunt a Speedy P9. Pick your Louis spirit animal and proceed. You can catch one (or all) of these rare, beautiful beasts at FASHIONPHILE.
