By Isabella Popo
Brigette Pheloung, a TikTok fashion influencer known as @AcquiredStyle, shared a controversial statement last month: The Louis Neverfull is the new Goyard. People were not amused. The classic Goyard tote is the most-carried bag on campus, according to a spring 2024 survey by SMU Look magazine. How did students react to the news that their favorite bag is over? Spoiler alert: They didn’t believe it.
Goyard and Louis Vuitton have a lot in common: They’re both French, they were founded around the same time (1853 and 1854, respectively) and they both started with travel trunks. They also share another important element: luxury pricing. The Artois MM Bag, which the brand says is its most popular tote, comes in 11 different colorways and ranges from $2,100 to 2,500. The Louis Vuitton Neverfull was introduced in 2007 and was designed by Marc Jacobs, the brand’s artistic director at the time. The Neverfull comes in six different patterns/designs that range from $ 2,000 to 2,700.


Last month, SMULook.com surveyed 120 SMU students and staff members about their experiences with both tote bags and asked what they thought of Pheloung’s claim. The results provide a fascinating insight into SMU tote bag culture.
First off, 76 of the survey’s 120 respondents own one of these pricey totes – proof that this topic resonates on campus. (Fun fact: More people paid for their own tote than got it as a gift.) Then came the money question: Which bag do you like better?
There was a clear winner, with 72% of respondents choosing Team Goyard. The survey offered space for comments, and respondents weren’t shy about sharing their opinions.
“Goyard! The different colors make it a more timeless bag in my opinion,” wrote one respondent.
Another agreed, citing the brand’s “array of colors, which allows for more differentiation than the Neverfull bag.” The Vuitton logo, they added, “is over-hyped and loses a sense of elegance because it is more provocative and flashy in a way.”
But the Neverfull had its champions – 28% did prefer it, after all. The Neverfull, said one respondent “has stayed in since I was in high school – I think it’s a more classic bag and goes with everything.”
Still others praised the quality of the Goyard. “LV quality has also gone downhill in my opinion, they said.”