Fashion Influential #4: Louis Vuitton
Russian model Natalia Vodianova poses in Paris in a Louis Vuitton advertising campaign for the Women's Spring/Summer 2008 collection.
Photo via Ce.Cn.
LOUIS VUITTON
Born:
August 4, 1821 in Achay, Jura, France
Died:
February 27, 1892 in Paris, France
Labels owned by LVMH:
Belvedere, Hennessy, Moët et Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, Louis Vuitton, Fendi, DKNY, Emilio Pucci, Givenchy, Marc Jacobs, Guerlain, Sephora
Fans:
Audrey Hepburn, Uma Thurman, Victoria Beckham, Scarlett Johanssen, Chloe Sevigny, Paris and Nicky Hilton
Beginnings.
Louis Vuitton was born in Jura, France, but he famously moved to Paris the very old-fashioned way: on foot. He walked 250 miles to the fashion capital of the world, where he became an apprentice to luggage-maker Monsieur Marechal. Soon he began to design his own luggage.
Career Highs.
In 1853, Vuitton founded his own company as a luggage manufacturer, called Malletier à Paris, in Paris. He insisted on high-quality artisanship of luxury leather good, and other trunk designers began to follow his lead. He gained so much popularity in the business that he was appointed as Layetier (trunk-maker) to Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III. In 1867, Louis Vuitton won the bronze medal at the famous Exposition Universelle de Paris, and over the next 20 years he created the recognizable beige and brown striped pattern for his luggage. Others began copying his look so much that finally, in 1888, Vuitton created the Damier Canvas pattern, which became the Louis Vuitton trademark (The ubiquitous monogram canvas, which became the first designer logo was actually a design by his son Georges).
When I arrived, Vuitton had no fashion past, it was a luggage brand. The bags are the collection. As soon as you put a bag with an outfit, the wearer becomes LV woman. - Marc Jacobs
Louis Vuitton's monogram canvas and damier canvas bags.
Career Lows. The Vuitton family actively supported the Nazi Regime during the Second World War, bringing them substantial criticism in later years. Also, it goes without saying that Louis Vuitton is one of the most often faked designer logos in the world - and many of the counterfeits are good enough to pass for the original. Earlier this year, artist Nadia Plesner released a satirical photo of a starving child holding a LV bag, which infuriated the company.
Legacy.
The Louis Vuitton legacy is, in a word, vast. Georges Vuitton introduced as many as 70 new designs, and the company expanded from luggage into handbags, accessories, and clothing. Art Director Marc Jacobs has breathed a new energy into the classic but tired brand, creating the legendary graffiti bag (a leap from the traditional LV image) and partnering with Takashi Murakami for the new, brightly-colored monogram bags. Jacobs even introduced a Louis Vuitton ready-to-wear clothing collection in 1997. It seems like every celebrity in Hollywood's history has had an LV luggage collection, along with anyone else wealthy enough to afford it. The LVMH powerhouse is synonymous with luxury, and the classic creations will never go out of style - especially not with Jacobs behind the scenes.
A model on the Spring 2009 Louis Vuitton runway. Get the Look.
It's easy enough: buy an original Louis Vuitton bag if you can afford it, and a knock-off if you can't. Traditionalists should go for the signature brown and beige designs, while the more avant-garde may prefer the new Murakami creations. For apparel, the LV lines tend to stay true to the original theme: luxurious, sophisticated, bold Parisian style.
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