Louis Vuitton

The legendary designer Louis Vuitton was born in 1821 in a small French town. His father was a miller and carpenter, so Louis gained his dexterity with tools from early childhood. When he was 10 years old, his mother died, and a couple of years later, his father passed away. Then 14-years old, Louis went to Paris by foot in search of a better life. The road was long, almost 500 km long, taking him several years. On the way, Louis stopped to earn money for food by cleaning shoes, working in the fields, and selling flowers. At the age of 16, he finally reached Paris. He was looking for work and lodging, but luck was not on his side until Louis saw a workshop with chests and travel boxes. The fact is that in the 19th century there were no waterproof and shockproof suitcases as are available today. Therefore, the aristocracy took things on trips in chests, which were made in special workshops. They hired people to pack things by folding them neatly, ensuring that nothing would get wet or damaged. Louis got a job as an apprentice in the atelier of chests for Monsieur Marechal. He worked hard and after a few years became the leading master, serving with Marechal for 17 years. At 33, Louis got married, and a year later, in 1854, he and his wife opened their own workshop. As they started more and more orders, they had to expand and open a new workshop in the suburbs of Paris. Louis hired 20 workers to assist in the workshop, mainly carrying out private orders. Louis Vuitton’s clients have always been wealthy people, this include the wife of Napoleon III, who ordered a suitcase. French nobility followed her example. Sometimes the workshop created unique chests, for example, for transporting ponies. Things were looking up – the number of clients was growing, bringing more and more money into the business. However, Louis wanted his products to be special. And in 1858 he launched waterproof chests and suitcases, which were made of canvas rather than leather. In addition, he invented revolutionary model of flat suitcases that could be stacked on top of each other and save space, for example, when traveling by train. All of Europe spoke about Louis Vuitton's suitcases, leading to hundreds of orders pouring into the workshop. The only problem was that others were creating fake copies of this design. To prevent this, Louis developed an original colour scheme. At first it was a brown and beige stripe, and then a checkerboard pattern, which is still being used today. The brand faced its first major obstacle when, in 1871 as a result of the Prussian War, the workshop was destroyed and all the tools were stolen. Everything had to be rebuilt from scratch. A few years later, he was able to open his first store in London. Locals were delighted with the quality and style of Louis Vuitton's merchandise.

Today, the company has stores in more than 50 countries around the world. Louis Vuitton bags cost from 5 to 55 thousand dollars, and exclusive models are even more expensive. According to the company's tradition, all unsold bags are returned to Paris, where they are burnt to avoid counterfeiting. Louis Vuitton is one of the most expensive fashion brands in the world.

Louis Vuitton products are the dream of true connoisseurs of high fashion. Probably, in the fashion world you will not find a more recognizable logo than the letters L and V intertwined with each other and famous floral pattern. Starting with the production of suitcases, comfortable and roomy travel bags in 1854, the fashion house has not stopped growing and expanding its range of products. The French brand developed a new lock system that made the chest incredibly secure and also introduced a double-spring lock. Toward the end of the 20th century, the company also started introducing men's and women's pret-a-porter collections. Today, the fashion house offers original bags, wardrobe items, shoes, jewellery, watches, sunglasses and other accessories. The brand’s products demonstrate a special attention to detail, creating timeless designs, using high-quality and durable materials, as well as impeccable workmanship. One of the distinct features of all items is the use of patterned fabrics incorporating the brand’s logo. The Louis Vuitton Monogram can be found on absolutely all manufactured products. Throughout the years, creative directors of the company were Marc Jacobs, Nicolas Ghesquière, Kim Jones. Today this post is occupied by Virgil Abloh.