Fashionable Bags

The Story of Louis Vuitton

Louis Vuitton is a French luxury fashion and leather goods brand and one of the oldest fashion houses in the world, having been founded in 1854.  It sells its products strictly through its own retail stores and online.   In so doing, Louis Vuitton is able to control pricing and product quality.   Louis Vuitton was a famous trunks and luggage retailer in the mid-19th century, and bags and trunks are still what the company is best known for today.  Then, as now, each piece of Louis Vuitton luggage is still made by hand.  The company also makes fashion accessories, luxury leather goods, ready-to-wear clothing, and jewelry. 

Louis Vuitton (1821-1892) was a Frenchman who worked as a layetier (packer) to Napoleon III of France and other French aristocracy, developing firsthand knowledge of what would make a good suitcase.  After this work experience, Mr. Vuitton began designing his own luggage.  During this era, most travel trunks were rounded on top to allow water run-off, but could not be stacked on top of one another. Louis Vuitton introduced stackable, lightweight, airtight trunks with a flat bottom, which was very innovative for the time.  The design was a big hit and took off throughout the industry.  Louis Vuitton’s son Georges and eventually his grandson Gaston inherited and ran the company to great success, expanding its visibility and brand recognition worldwide throughout the years.   The brand celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2004 and has expanded its product lines to include pens, watches, clothing, and many other luxury goods.  The brand’s monogram logo is so distinctive that it has appeared on many replica Louis Vuitton handbags.