Louis Vuitton, founded by Louis Vuitton, is a leading luxury brand known for its LV monogram products. It operates globally with over 460 stores and is a subsidiary of LVMH.
At the age of 16, Louis Vuitton embarked on a 292-mile journey from his hometown to Paris, seeking opportunities in the city's industrialization and the demand for travel essentials.
Louis Vuitton was born in 1821 into a working-class family in eastern France. He learned the values of persistence and industry from his upbringing.
In 1837, a 16-year-old Louis Vuitton went to Paris and started working as an apprentice for trunk designer Monsieur Marechal. After 17 years, he left to establish his own business, becoming a pioneer in the luggage industry.
Louis Vuitton, a French fashion designer, founded the renowned luxury brand Louis Vuitton in 1854.
In 1858, Louis Vuitton revolutionized trunk-making by introducing a flat-topped trunk made of waterproof, lightweight Trianon canvas, departing from the traditional rounded top design.
In 1859, Louis Vuitton opened his atelier in Asnières, northeast of Paris. The workshop initially had 20 employees but later grew to over 200. It remained the only Louis Vuitton workshop until 1977, with nearly 20 workshops across France today.
In 1866, Louis Vuitton and his son, Georges, introduced a revolutionary tumbler lock that was considered "unpickable" due to its innovative design featuring a single lock system with two spring buckles. This lock system provided enhanced security for Louis Vuitton trunks and is still utilized in their products today.
Louis Vuitton company participated in the universal exhibition held in Paris, showcasing its innovative products.
In 1876, Louis Vuitton changed the original Trianon canvas design to a beige-and-brown stripes design to prevent imitation. This new design became a signature element of the brand.
Louis Vuitton expanded his business internationally by opening his first branch in Oxford Street, London in 1885.
In 1886, Louis Vuitton's son George patented a revolutionary trunk lock that is still in use today, contributing to the brand's legacy of innovation and craftsmanship.
In 1888, Louis Vuitton introduced the iconic Damier print, a distinctive striped canvas pattern that served to deter counterfeit imitations and solidified Vuitton's status as a symbol of prestige during the late 1800s.
In 1890, Georges Vuitton, son of Louis Vuitton, introduced a spring buckle locking mechanism to protect luxury trunks from thieves. He challenged Harry Houdini to pick the lock, proving its security.
Louis Vuitton, the founder of the renowned fashion house, passed away.
After meeting John Wanamaker, Louis Vuitton products were introduced to the American market through department stores.
Georges Vuitton introduced the iconic LV Monogram Canvas, symbolizing luxury and artisanship of Louis Vuitton.
By 1900, Louis Vuitton's business had grown significantly, leading to an expansion of his workforce to 100 employees. This expansion reflected the increasing demand for his high-quality trunks and luggage.
In 1901, Louis Vuitton introduced the Steamer Bag, a smaller luggage piece designed to complement Vuitton's trunks, showcasing the brand's innovation in travel accessories.
In 1913, Louis Vuitton opened its first flagship store on the prestigious Champs-Élysées in Paris, marking a significant milestone in the brand's history.
The Louis Vuitton building opened on the Champs-Elysées as the largest travel goods store in the world.
Renowned fashion icon Coco Chanel requested a bespoke Louis Vuitton handbag, marking LV's venture into small leather goods and accessories.
The release date of the Keepall, a soft duffel bag that has become a staple of Louis Vuitton, has been cited as 1924. This iconic bag has stood the test of time.
In 1925, Gabrielle Coco Chanel commissioned a custom handbag from Louis Vuitton, marking the beginning of a collaboration between the two iconic fashion figures.
In 1930, Louis Vuitton introduced the iconic LV Keepall and Speedy bags, marking a significant milestone in the brand's history.
In 1932, Louis Vuitton introduced the Noé bucket bag, which has become a classic and enduring design in the fashion world.
Georges Vuitton passed away in 1936, leading to his son, Gaston, inheriting the company.
Louis Vuitton, founded in 1946, is a renowned French fashion house famous for its luxury leather goods and iconic monogrammed bags.
In 1959, Louis Vuitton revamped its Signature Monogram Canvas, updating the iconic design to suit contemporary tastes and trends.
In 1965, legendary actress Audrey Hepburn requested a smaller version of the Speedy bag, leading to the creation of the iconic Speedy 25.
In 1966, Louis Vuitton launched the cylindrical Papillon handbag, which has stood the test of time as a distinctive and stylish accessory.
In 1970, Henry Recamier assumed leadership of Louis Vuitton following his father Gaston-Louis's passing. He initiated global expansion by opening retail stores worldwide.
A decade before the merger with Moët Hennessy, Henry Racamier assumed control of Louis Vuitton from his brother-in-law and Gaston's son, Henry Vuitton. This leadership change marked a significant moment in the history of the fashion house.
In 1978, Louis Vuitton opened its inaugural store in Japan, located in Tokyo and Osaka.
Louis Vuitton established its first store at Ngee Ann City, Singapore, in 1979.
In 1983, Louis Vuitton collaborated with America’s Cup to create the Louis Vuitton Cup, a preliminary contest for the yacht race.
In 1984, under the guidance of Joseph Lafont, the financial director, Louis Vuitton became a publicly traded company, paving the way for the establishment of LVMH conglomerate.
In 1987, Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy (LVMH) was established, bringing together various luxury brands such as Tiffany & Co, Fendi, Bulgari, Givenchy, Celine, and TAG Heuer.
In 1989, Bernard Arnault successfully ousted Racamier from LVMH's board after a bitter internal feud, taking over as the company's CEO and chairman.
In 1996, Louis Vuitton celebrated the 100th anniversary of their iconic monogram canvas by collaborating with select designers to create unique luggage pieces.
In March 1997, Louis Vuitton introduced several new products including the Monogram Vernis line, LV scrapbooks, and the Louis Vuitton City Guide.
The following year after Marc Jacobs became the artistic director, Louis Vuitton launched its first ready-to-wear line under his leadership, showcasing the brand's expansion into new fashion territories.
In 1999, Louis Vuitton released the mini monogram line.
In 2000, Louis Vuitton opened its first store in Africa in Marrakech, Morocco, and held a charity auction at the International Film Festival in Venice, Italy.
Following the success of the jewelry launch, Marc Jacobs initiated collaborations with renowned artists like Stephen Sprouse, Takashi Murakami, and Richard Prince, bringing a fresh artistic perspective to Louis Vuitton's designs.
In 2002, Daniel Lalonde, president and CEO of LVMH Watches, recruited celebrities like Maria Sharapova, Brad Pitt, Tiger Woods, and Uma Thurman for Louis Vuitton advertising campaigns, resulting in a significant boost in sales and brand recognition.
In June 2003, Louis Vuitton discontinued the production of the limited-edition Cherry Blossom pattern created by Takashi Murakami.
In 2004, Louis Vuitton celebrated its 150th anniversary.
By 2005, Louis Vuitton reopened its Champs-Élysées store in Paris and released the Speedy watch collection.
In 2006, Louis Vuitton filed a lawsuit against Manifest Information Services Ltd. to acquire the domain name LV.com, which was later acquired by Liverpool Victoria.
On February 13, 2007, Louis Vuitton sent a cease-and-desist order to Danish art student Nadia Plesner for using an image that allegedly infringed Louis Vuitton's intellectual property rights. Plesner had created a satirical illustration, 'Simple Living', to raise funds for the charity 'Divest for Darfur'.
On November 19, 2007, Louis Vuitton successfully sued Britney Spears for violating anti-counterfeiting laws in her music video 'Do Somethin''. The video showed a design resembling Louis Vuitton's 'Cherry Blossom' on a hot pink Hummer dashboard.
After closing his own fashion brand in 2008, Kim Jones took on the role of Men's Style Director at Louis Vuitton. This marked a new chapter in his career within the fashion industry.
In 2009, Louis Vuitton introduced high jewelry featuring two patented diamond petal cuts, showcasing innovation and luxury in their designs.
In 2010, Louis Vuitton was ranked as the 19th most valuable brand, estimated to be worth over US$19 billion.
On 17 September 2011, Louis Vuitton opened its Louis Vuitton Island Maison at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore.
In September 2012, Louis Vuitton filed complaints against two small retail shops in Hong Kong for allegedly violating its intellectual property rights related to the 'S-Lock' design for handbags.
On 4 November 2013, Louis Vuitton confirmed that Nicolas Ghesquière had been hired to replace Marc Jacobs as artistic director of women's collections.
On 7 April 2014, Edouard Schneider became the head of press and public relations at Louis Vuitton.
Louis Vuitton is recognized as the most valuable luxury brand in the world, known for its exclusive and beautiful products such as iconic monogram handbags, signature jewelry, and ethereal perfumes.
In May 2017, reports surfaced about the mistreatment of Louis Vuitton model Ulrikke Høyer, who was allegedly deemed 'too bloated' and 'too big' for a show in Kyoto, leading to her exclusion despite following instructions to limit water intake.
On 26 March 2018, Virgil Abloh was named artistic director of men's wear at Louis Vuitton, becoming the label's first African-American artistic director.
In June 2019, Louis Vuitton collaborated with six contemporary artists on 'Artycapucines,' where each artist designed their version of the Capucine bag, sold in limited quantities.
In July 2019, Louis Vuitton opened a temporary exhibition titled 'Louis Vuitton X' in Los Angeles, showcasing items from its various collaborations over the years.
In October 2019, Louis Vuitton collaborated with Riot Games to create digital assets for the 'True Damage' skin line in League of Legends, featuring the LV logo on the character Qiyana and a specialty trophy case for the 2019 League of Legends World Championship.
On January 15, 2020, Louis Vuitton acquired the Sewelô diamond, the third-largest rough diamond ever found, from Lucara Diamond in Botswana.
On April 14, 2021, Louis Vuitton lost a patent office case in Japan against a Japanese manufacturer. The manufacturer was using traditional Japanese designs that had inspired Louis Vuitton. This incident sparked discussions on social media about the origins of Louis Vuitton's designs.
On November 28, 2021, Virgil Abloh tragically passed away after battling angiosarcoma for two years. His creative influence reshaped Louis Vuitton, emphasizing inclusivity and innovation in luxury fashion.
Louis Vuitton remains one of the largest luxury fashion houses, showcasing its enduring popularity and influence in the fashion industry.
On February 14, 2023, Pharrell Williams took on the role of creative director for Louis Vuitton menswear, bringing a promise of innovation and excitement to the brand.
A journey through time delving into the luxurious and meticulously crafted world of Louis Vuitton, synonymous with opulent travel, exquisite artistry, and timeless LV bags.
Louis Vuitton releases a book titled 'Perfume Atlas' along with a special limited-edition box set, marking the debut publication by their master perfumer, Jacques Cavallier-Belletrud.
Louis Vuitton reopens its store in the Times Square shopping center in Hong Kong, marking a significant event in the luxury fashion industry.
Louis Vuitton showcases its Women’s Prefall 2024 Collection in Shanghai as part of the Voyager Show.
Louis Vuitton plans to achieve a 100% eco-design across its product line by 2025, focusing on sustainability in the fashion industry.
Louis Vuitton aims to reduce greenhouse emissions by 55% by 2030, demonstrating its commitment to environmental sustainability.