A new Louis Vuitton bag has sparked lively debate online after social media users compared it to the popular “Ghana Must Go” bag.
The French luxury brand recently unveiled its Heritage handbag, priced at $3,000, but the design has drawn striking similarities to the checkered woven bags widely used in West Africa for travel and storage.
Photos of the LV bag went viral on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, with many Africans quick to point out the resemblance. One user joked: “Our Ghana Must Go. No be copyright be that?” while another quipped: “I want to see if Nigerians and Ghanaians will buy this for $3,000.”
The “Ghana Must Go” bag, named after the mass expulsion of undocumented West African migrants from Nigeria in the 1980s, has since become a cultural symbol across the region. Known for its durability and affordability, the bag is often sold in local markets for as little as ₦2,000 or GH₵150— a stark contrast to Louis Vuitton’s luxury price tag.
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While some netizens praised the brand for bringing African-inspired designs into the global fashion spotlight, others criticised it as an attempt to “repackage poverty aesthetics” for profit.
The conversation mirrors past controversies where luxury fashion houses were accused of borrowing from traditional or everyday designs without crediting their cultural origins.
For now, Louis Vuitton has not issued a statement on the online reactions, but the debate continues: Is this luxury fashion paying homage, or is it simply appropriation with a heavy price tag?