Beyoncé Knowles, unlike most women, has it easy when it comes to shopping for the man in her life. The solution? Get him a backpack. Hubby Jay-Z is rarely spotted without some incarnation of a Louis Vuitton backpack; he last sported an oversized Monogram “Christopher” backpack and now seems to have upgraded in a grandiose way. The rap impresario was snapped by paparazzi exiting the Crillon Hotel in Paris with Vuitton’s ostrich skin backpack (retail price: $24,900) in hand. The rare piece, straight off the men’s Spring 2010 runway, features a nifty built-in towel holder at the base (perhaps he’ll utilize it in St. Tropez soon), but it’s the easy-access handle design that I appreciate most. Backpacks were spotted all over at the recent Fall 2010 men’s shows in Milan and Paris, hinting that the hand’s free trend is making its way over from the women’s side. This bag–which, in my opinion, best suits a man with presence and attitude, not to mention the height to pull it off–allows the user the versatility to be hand’s free or to conveniently carry it as luggage (notice the practical side handle and double-zipper pockets), easily accommodating a weekend’s worth of necessities. It features easy-access buckles, roomy pockets within and a drawstring closure to keep your valuables secure. Backpacks are no longer relegated to pre-adolescents! The category, too, has grown up! What’s more, the ostrich, as much as I can’t help but think of pimples, is a softer and less expensive alternative to alligator–proving that even music moguls are capable of “downsizing.”
$24,900 at select Louis Vuitton boutiques 866-VUITTON
