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A Legendary History. Louis Vuitton’s heritage as a trunk maker preceded even the founding of the company. It was in 1837 that a 16-year-old Louis Vuitton arrived in Paris by foot and started apprenticing for Monsieur Maréchal. At the time, horse-drawn carriages, boats and trains were the main modes of transportation, and baggage was handled ...
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of its iconic monogram, Louis Vuitton commissions six designers to create original pieces in its honour. The resulting pieces - a vinyl box by Helmut Lang, a backpack with built-in umbrella by Sybilla, a hiking bag by Romeo Gigli, a shoe trunk by Manolo Blahnik, a weekend bag by Isaac Mizrahi and ‘bustle bag’ by Vivienne Westwood - were exhibited around ...
- Overview
- Early life and career
- Louis Vuitton established
- Setbacks, signature canvases, and tumbler locks
- Louis Vuitton under Georges Vuitton
- Becoming LVMH
Louis Vuitton, (born August 4, 1821, Anchay, France—died February 27, 1892, Asnières-sur-Seine), French box maker and entrepreneur who founded his namesake brand of luxury trunks and luggage in 1854. During his lifetime, Vuitton introduced a number of innovations to luggage, and his brand later grew to become one of the most valuable and recognized...
Louis Vuitton was born in Anchay, a small remote village in the mountainous region of eastern France. He was the son of a farmer, Xavier Vuitton, and a milliner, Coronne Gaillard, who died when he was 10. His father soon remarried, to a woman who Louis Vuitton found strict. Unhappy with his provincial life, he left home at age 13, traveling on foot toward Paris. Vuitton stopped to work odd jobs to support himself and eventually arrived in the city in 1837 at age 16. There he found work as an apprentice to the master box maker and packer Romain Maréchal.
In the 19th century box making and packing were specialized trades in which artisans handcrafted luggage from wood, brass, and leather. Each piece was specially made for an individual customer, whose luggage would be handled roughly when it traveled via horse-drawn carriages or boats, the main forms of transportation. Vuitton soon developed a reputation as a skilled craftsman and began attracting members of the French nobility as customers. In 1853 he was appointed the personal box maker and packer of Eugénie, who had become the wife of Napoleon III and empress of France that same year.
In 1854 Vuitton married Clemence-Emilie Parriaux and soon afterward left Maréchal’s employment. He opened his own workshop in Paris near the Place Vendôme, where many fashion houses and jewelry firms were located. Vuitton advertised his specialty in packing fashions and fragile objects. In 1858 he introduced the rectangular-shaped trunk with a flat lid. Traditionally, trunks were made with dome-shaped tops, which allowed rain and mud to roll off as luggage was transported on the backs of stagecoaches. Vuitton, noticing the main modes of traveling were becoming the train and ocean liner, produced the flat lid for easier stacking and shipping. He also replaced the leather, which was heavy and often cracked, with lightweight wood covered in Trianon gray canvas, a fabric Vuitton designed to be waterproof and stain resistant.
High demand for the stackable, flat-lid trunk prompted Vuitton to move his workshop to a larger space in Asnières (now known as Asnières-sur-Seine), a village northwest of Paris. Its location on the Seine River and near a railway line allowed for convenient river and rail transport of finished products as well as the delivery of raw materials. Vuitton, his wife, and his son, Georges, resided in a space above the workshop.
The company suffered several setbacks during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71, which paralyzed travel and consequently lessened the demand for luggage. Moreover, the workshop in Asnières was ransacked, and its equipment was stolen or destroyed. After the war, however, Vuitton reestablished his business and opened a new shop in Paris at a prestigious location close to the Opéra Garnier and the Louvre.
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Vuitton continued to experiment with new signature canvases, debuting a patterned canvas of red and beige stripes in 1872, followed by a striped canvas in beige and brown (1876) and then the iconic Damier design, featuring a checkerboard pattern of red and white or of beige and brown (1888). To curb imitations of his work, he also stamped a brand identification on his trunks that read: marque L. Vuitton déposée (“registered L. Vuitton brand”). By this time, Georges Vuitton had begun working with his father, contributing to pattern ideas and handling management of the business.
Upon Louis Vuitton’s death in 1892, Georges Vuitton assumed leadership of the business. During his tenure, he exhibited Louis Vuitton luggage at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago (1893), introducing the brand to an American market, and he created the LV monogram (1896) to honour his father and further deter imitators. The monogram feature...
By the 20th century the Louis Vuitton brand had become synonymous with a luxury lifestyle. Under the stewardship of Georges Vuitton’s son, Gaston-Louis Vuitton, it expanded its offerings to include luxury leather goods, and under Gaston-Louis Vuitton’s son-in-law, steel magnate Henry Racamier, the brand grew from a family-run business into a global...
Jun 23, 2017 · The Beginning. Back in 1854, Louis Vuitton dreamed of creating a fashion house that would change the face of accessories forever. The quest to create trunks that could be stacked led the designer to create a unique line of fashion luggage that remains one of the most respected brands today. Founded in Paris, France, Louis Vuitton created a ...
Jan 19, 2024 · The House of Louis Vuitton: A History and Timeline of Bags, Designers, Ownership and More. The storied label dates back to the 1850s. From the launch of its first trunks in the 1850s to its ready ...
May 31, 2023 · Today, Louis Vuitton is known worldwide for its high-quality products and iconic monogram pattern. Louis Vuitton’s Backpack Collection. Louis Vuitton offers several different styles of backpacks for both men and women. One of their most popular options is the Palm Springs Backpack.
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In 1892, Louis Vuitton passed away, and his son Georges Vuitton took charge of the luxury house, initiating a redesign of their luggage. As a homage to his father, George introduced the iconic LV monogram, featuring a pattern of LVs, quatrefoils, and flowers. Under his leadership, the monogram ascended to great acclaim among a discerning clientele.
