Uniquely LV

You've carried their monogrammed bags, in the characteristic brown and fawn; you've seen their accessories scorch the ramps and set new trends …Now find out what made Louis Vuitton the definitive brand that it is today. By RANVIJAYSINH JHALA.

A model flaunts the new monogram galliera bag by louis vuitton
In the year 1821, a boy was born to a family of millers and carpenters in the Jura Region of France. They named him Louis. He grew up to be quite an ambitious lad. At the tender age of 14, Louis ventured out to Paris, the capital of France and one of the most rapidly developing cities at the time. There, he landed a job with Monsieur Maréchal, a maker and packer of travellers' trunks and suitcases. Louis worked hard and learned all he could from Maréchal. Louis’ time with him laid the foundation for the creation of one of the largest fashion empires the world has ever seen. An empire entitled Louis Vuitton.

LV Co.
In less than two decades, Louis started his own company. With his headquarters in Rue Neuve des Capucines in central Paris, Louis became a master trunk-maker. He converted a simple luggage contraption into a trendy travel accessory, with stylish grey Trianon canvas, and other innovative substitutes for drab regular parts. The popularity of Louis' trunk manufactory grew so much that he had to expand the setup to keep up with the growing number of orders he received from clients. Towards 1860, he shifted base to a workshop in the small town of Asnières, where the company operated right up till 1977.
The World Exhibition in Paris, where several lifestyle brands have showcased their work and won acclaim, also saw Louis Vuitton being recognised for the first time. In 1867, he won the bronze medal at the Exhibition. In 1870, LV became a part of the new 'brand' of luxury luggage that had emerged. Soon imitations of LV trunks were flooding the market. To counter that, Louis introduced a striped canvas that became characteristic of the brand. International recognition was soon to follow, as LV Co. continued to cater to customers with made-to-order trunks and luggage.

Next in Line
Before his death in 1892, Louis invented the Damier canvas that was showcased at another edition of The World Exhibition. The canvas made a significant impact when it was reissued in 1996, becoming one of the brand's signatures. Louis' son, Georges succeeded his father after his death. Georges took LV to London, by opening a store there to cater to the English, supplanting their traditional English trunk.
The Museum of travel, set up in part of the LV home in asnières

With time, he made several such strides. The customer's needs and convenience topped George's priority throughout his reign of control over the brand. He invented the tumbler-lock — a single-number key that could open any piece of LV luggage that a customer owned. This kind of attention to detail helped the company gain favour amongst its discerning clientele.

Georges also made a mark with his creative additions to the brand. In 1896, he designed the bold monogram that bore the initials of his father. LV-monogrammed bags and suitcases were now seen on some of the finest ocean lines, with the number of holiday travellers significantly increasing over time. Today, the “LV” monogram is seen as a symbol of model luxury.

Renewed Perspective
In 1914, the Louis Vuitton store on Champs-Elysées in Paris was the world's largest store devoted to travel accessories. Besides this distinguishing feature, the Vuitton legacy ensured that it would be a class apart in every other sense as well. Georges' son, Gaston-Louis, who started working with his father, was an enthusiastic art collector. His love of fine art found expression in the creation of window displays for the store, in the development of new products, and in a wealth of artistic collaborations with leading designers of the day. In 1925, under the initiative of Gaston-Louis, LV began to create toilet bags, including toothbrushes, multi-purpose bottles and silver accessories, bringing to travel, an unprecedented elegance. Gaston-Louis made a contribution to the company that went beyond just creative inputs in presentation and the product line.
A wine bottle and glass holder: a special creation of LV