Louis Vuitton: The History of a Brand


Louis Vuitton is sometimes touted as the most valuable luxury brand in the world. Nevertheless, recalling the illustrious history of Louis Vuitton is necessary given its revered status in the fashion industry and enormous corporate size. After all, it was constructed on the hopes and goals of a young person 200 years ago, which have inspired and will continue to inspire countless generations. LVMH Louis Vuitton is now owned by Mot Hennessy. Louis Vuitton, also known as LVMH or simply Louis Vuitton, is a holding company that was founded in 1987 as a result of a merger between the fashion industry and Mot Hennessy.

LVMH’s current size can be gauged by looking at some of the high-end fashion companies it owns, like Bulgari, Celine, Fendi, Givenchy, TAG Heuer, and Tiffany & Co. Every brand has a colourful past and a unique personality. LVMH, which operates under this umbrella as a distinct identity and draws on its heritage from roughly two centuries ago, technically manages all of them. The Louis Vuitton corporation had approximately USD 10 billion in annual sales, 23,000 employees, and 460 stores as of 2020. The house is most known for its bags, but it is also well-known for its ready-to-wear clothing, jewellery, watches, and other high-end accessories.

Historical Background

Vuitton established the Louis Vuitton brand in 1854 on Rue Neuve des Capucines in Paris, France. In 1858, Louis Vuitton introduced his flat-bottom trunks with Triacon canvas, making them lightweight and airtight. Vuitton had noticed that the HJ Cave osilite trunk could be easily stacked. The business took part in the Paris world’s fair in 1857. Vuitton modified the Trianon design to a beige and brown striped design in 1876 to prevent anyone from copying his style. The business had established its initial location on Oxford Street in London by 1885. When Louis Vuitton passed away in 1892, his son took over as CEO.

After his father’s passing, Georges Vuitton launched an initiative to expand the business globally and displayed the company’s goods at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893. The business introduced its iconic Monogram Canvas in 1896 and obtained global patents for it. On the Champs-Elysees, the Louis Vuitton Building was inaugurated in 1913. At the time, it was the biggest retailer of travel accessories worldwide. As World War I got underway, shops also started popping up in New York, Bombay, Washington, London, Alexandria, and Buenos Aires. After Georges Vuitton’s passing in 1936, his son Gaston-Louis Vuitton took over as business president. Louis Vuitton assisted the Nazis in their takeover of France during World War II.

1945-2000

Louis Vuitton started using leather in the majority of its products during this time, which included anything from little wallets and handbags to larger pieces of luggage. The business redesigned its iconic Monogram Canvas in 1959 to make it more flexible, enabling it to be used for purses, bags, and wallets as part of an effort to expand its product line. It is thought that counterfeiting began to resurface in the 1920s and became a bigger problem, continuing into the twenty-first century. Later, Louis Vuitton increased its footprint in Asia by setting up shop in Seoul, South Korea, in 1984, and Taipei, Taiwan, in 1983. The Epi leather line was first made available the following year, in 1985.

LVMH was founded in 1987. Mot et Chandon and Hennessy, two leading champagne and cognac producers, formed the luxury goods conglomerate with Louis Vuitton.The launch of the mini monogram line in 1999, the establishment of the first store in Africa in Marrakech, Morocco, and finally the auction at the International Film Festival in Venice, Italy, where the vanity case “amfAR” created by Sharon Stone was sold, with the proceeds going to The Foundation for AIDS Research, were the final events of the 20th century (also in 2000).

2001-2011

By 2001, Marc Jacobs and Stephen Sprouse had created a limited-edition range of Vuitton bags with graffiti scribbled over the monogram design. Graffiti on several bags included the name of the bag and the words “Louis Vuitton” (such as “Keepall” and “Speedy”). Only members of Louis Vuitton’s V.I.P. customer list may purchase certain pieces that feature the graffiti sans the Monogram Canvas background. In the same year, Jacobs also developed the charm bracelet, the very first item of jewellery produced by LV. The Tambour watch line was unveiled in 2002.

The LV building in Tokyo’s Ginza neighbourhood debuted this year, and the company worked with Bob Wilson [disambiguation needed] to create the scene for its holiday windows. Takashi Murakami and Marc Jacobs collaborated to design the new Monogram Multicolore canvas line of handbags and accessories in 2003. The monograms from the basic Monogram Canvas were included in this collection, but in 33 different colours with either a white or black background.

Louis Vuitton commemorated its 150th birthday in 2004. The company also opened shops in Johannesburg, Sao Paulo, Mexico City, Cancun, and New York City (on Fifth Avenue). In Shanghai, it also opened its first store on a global scale. In 2005, Louis Vuitton debuted the Speedy watch line and reopened its Champs-Élysées store in Paris, which was designed by American architect Eric Carlson. This location is thought to be the biggest and most successful LV store in the entire world. The Espace Louis Vuitton was officially opened by LV in 2006 on its seventh floor. Louis Vuitton introduced the Damier Graphite canvas in 2008. The canvas has the traditional Damier pattern on it, but it’s in black and grey, giving it a more rugged and urban appearance.

In 2010, Louis Vuitton opened its most opulent store in London. Kim Jones was hired by Louis Vuitton as its “Men Ready-to-Wear Studio and Style Director” in the beginning of 2011. He essentially rose to the position of head menswear designer while working as Marc Jacobs’ artistic director for the entire firm. The first “maison” to open in South-east Asia was Singapore’s Louis Vuitton Island Maison, which debuted on September 17th, 2011.

2012 - 2014

Darren Spaziani was appointed by the business in September 2013 to oversee its accessories line. The business officially announced on November 4, 2013, that Nicolas Ghesquière had been chosen to succeed Marc Jacobs as artistic director of women’s collections. In March 2014, Ghesquière debuted his first collection for the business in Paris. Edouard Schneider took over as Louis Vuitton’s director of press and public relations on April 7, 2014, he reported to Frédéric Winckler, the company’s director of communications and events.

Conclusion

In conclusion, one of the most well-known luxury fashion houses in the world is Louis Vuitton. The distinctive status LV symbol is well known. Since Louis Vuitton became famous for its high-end leather trunks and travel accessories, its roots can be found in exploration and travel. They are now praised for so much more, including their exquisitely designed luggage and their innovative approach to cutting-edge runway fashion. It’s challenging to match their enduring reputation and buzz as the top luxury fashion brand in the Vogue Business Index and the luxury fashion industry with the highest sales figures worldwide.

Updated on: 06-Feb-2023

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