When Apple unveiled its AirPods in 2016, they were derisively compared to electric-toothbrush heads, Q-tips, and antennae. Rudy Giuliani was photographed wearing them upside down. By late 2017, public opinion had clearly shifted: A bevy of cool celebrities, from Diana Ross to Kristen Stewart, were spotted with them, and the rare corded subway passenger suddenly looked out of place. A phase of acceptance, in other words, set in. Now here we are. It’s 2019, and Louis Vuitton has released these just-a-hair-under-$1,000 buds, made in collaboration with Master & Dynamic and printed with the French house’s monogram. Acceptance didn’t take so long this time; early adopters include rappers Lil Uzi Vert, Travis Scott, and Lil Yachty.
*This article appears in the February 4, 2019, issue of New York Magazine. Subscribe Now!