Why a Chocolate Purse From Louis Vuitton Is Going Viral

When you hear the words “luxury food,” you might picture ingredients that are considered extravagant, such as caviar, uni, or a generous serving of foie gras. But there’s another way to interpret these two terms together: What if they describe a luxury item made from a more common ingredient we all know and love?

Content creator Ella Katz (@tallertoddlers) captured the attention of more than 50 million viewers when she shared a video last weekend that highlighted a rather stressful saga. Katz opened her refrigerator, removed a giant chocolate treat that belonged to her roommate, then promptly dropped the ornately designed piece of chocolate, causing it to shatter all over the floor. 

But the accident isn’t the most interesting part of this clip. Instead, it’s the perfect replica of a Louis Vuitton purse, molded from chocolate in intricate detail, which viewers can catch a clear glimpse of before it breaks.

Is this a purse sold by Louis Vuitton? Can people buy it? How much does it cost? These are just a few of the questions raised by the viral video, and commenters asked all of the above. Quite a few of the viewers also chimed in with incorrect information, which is often the case on the internet, so it’s time to clear up any confusion about this designer dessert.

What is the Louis Vuitton chocolate purse?

As the ovoid shape of this sweet accessory suggests, the accessory is called the “Chocolate Egg Bag” and it is, indeed, sold by Louis Vuitton — it is not a knockoff. More specifically, this bag was created by acclaimed pastry chef Maxime Frédéric at Louis Vuitton. Among his numerous accolades in the world of patisserie, Frédéric serves as the head pastry chef at Cheval Blanc Paris, and in 2022 he launched “Café Maxime Frédéric at Louis Vuitton,” a Paris café and coffee shop in partnership with the designer brand.

Earlier this February, Frédéric and Louis Vuitton introduced the Chocolate Egg Bag as part of a collection of Easter chocolates. The bag closely resembles a purse designed by Nicolas Ghesquière, the artistic director of women’s collections at Louis Vuitton, for the fashion house’s 2019 spring-summer show.

According to a press release from the brand, “This piece combines the elegance of the leather design with the excellence of Maxime Frédéric's chocolate craftsmanship. The bag's shells are made from 70% dark chocolate, while the ‘zipper pulls’ and handles are made from 40% milk chocolate. Inside, the centerpiece is revealed as a 40% milk chocolate bar with a generous hazelnut gianduja centre.”

In addition to the purse, Louis Vuitton and Frédéric introduced some more traditional, yet still refined, chocolates. These featured smaller dark or milk chocolate eggs filled with a variety of ingredients, such as raspberry caramel and pistachio praline, blue vanilla and crunchy buckwheat gianduja, or creamy caramel with Tahitian vanilla and hazelnut praline.

This isn’t the first designer to play with accessories and food

As materials intended to be temporary, edible ingredients and food serve as an unexpected and provocative art medium, and Louis Vuitton isn’t the only luxury brand to take advantage of this effect.

In 2021, Hermès unveiled its collaboration with artist Ben Denzer, who designed renditions of its iconic Birkin bags crafted entirely from fruits and vegetables. Stalks of asparagus and strips of cucumber were shaped into the form of the elusive and exceedingly expensive purse.

The accessibility of these ingredients, considered affordable and common in households across the country, contrasts sharply with the Birkin — a purse that has a years-long waiting list and can easily cost thousands of dollars.

Content creator Nara Smith collaborated with Marc Jacobs in 2024 to create a video in which she pretends to “bake” a tote bag from scratch, ultimately revealing a full-sized, vivid pink Marc Jacobs tote that she pulls straight from the oven. 

Although Hermès didn’t sell its vegetable bags to the public and Marc Jacobs isn’t actually cooking its accessories in an oven, you can buy and eat Louis Vuitton’s viral chocolate purse.

Can you buy the Louis Vuitton chocolate purse?

If Ella Katz’s video or the description of a chocolate purse with a milk chocolate interior and hazelnut gianduja center has you wanting to taste this accessory yourself, then you’re in luck: You can still buy the Chocolate Egg Bag, and it will be available through mid-July.

The designer dessert will cost you around $250 and can only be purchased in person at a Louis Vuitton chocolatier location. In the United States, this includes just one store, located at 6 E 57th Street in Manhattan — where you’ll also find Le Cafe Louis Vuitton NYC.

There is, unsurprisingly, a Louis Vuitton chocolatier in Paris, as well as in Shanghai and Singapore. For chocolate lovers and dedicated fans of the French fashion house, perhaps it’s worth planning a trip to one of these locations before that mid-July deadline.