Important Makers - Louis Vuitton
Born in Anchay, eastern France, in a family of farmers, the young Louis decided, when he was only thirteen, to travel to Paris on foot. In 1836 he found a job in the French capital as an apprentice to a layetier, a craftsman employed by wealthy people to pack their objects and clothes for travelling. He became very famous and stayed in the business for seventeen years.
In 1854 he opened his own shop as a trunk maker in Paris, rue Neuve-des-Capucines, and in a couple of years he had already revolutionised the traditional trunk design. His trunks were in fact light and for the first time they had a flat top to facilitate stacking. Brackets, wedges, handles and sockets became essential parts of the Louis Vuitton functional design. His products immediately became very popular and often copied. That is why the firm kept changing its logo until, towards the end of the century, the well-known ‘LV’ monogram and the four lobed flower were created.
In 1858 Louis Vuitton became official trunks supplier for the Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III.
When Louis died in 1892, it was his son George to take over the company. He participated to several international fairs, expanding the brand's fame abroad. In 1896, as a tribute to his father, George designed a canvas alternating the firm’s monogram, the four pointed stars and the flowers that became so familiar until now.
At the beginning of the 20th Century the company opened a new flagship store on Champs-Elysées in Paris: it was the biggest travel-goods and bags store worldwide. By 1920 shops opened in Buenos Aires, New York, Washington, London, Alexandria and Bombay. One of the most iconic bags produced by Louis Vuitton, the Keepall Bag, was introduced in 1930, together with its smaller version, the Speedy Bag.
After the Second World War Louis Vuitton was already a must-have among celebrities and royalties. The Duke and Duchess of Windsor, the Rothschild family, Coco Chanel, Audrey Hepbourn or Anna Magnani were photographed with their Vuitton’s bags and travel luggage.
The firm stayed within the Vuitton family until 1987 but its success hasn’t faded, still being a synonym of luxury and elegance.
