COVETED MAGAZINE PAGE 109.
The first time we set eyes on the legendary Trunk,
we immediately felt an urge of getting to know
the story and faces of this magical icon. We must
go back more than a hundred years when its
creator began to live the story, which is considered
by many and by the company itself - a legend.
Louis Vuitton was raised and born in a family of
carpenters and millers. On 4th of August, 1821
Vuitton laid eyes on our world, to be precise, in
Anchay, a small working-class settlement in the
east of France. At the age of 13, tired of provincial
life and of his strict stepmother, Vuitton left home
for Paris. The 292-mile journey took him two
years on foot with stops to carry out odd jobs to
support himself along the way. In Paris, he met
Monsieur Maréchal, his maître. Louis Vuitton
quickly became a valued craftsman at the Parisian
atelier of Monsieur Maréchal, these were the roots
of his highly specialised trade. At the time, horse-
drawn carriages, boats and trains were the main
modes of transportation, and luggage was handled
roughly. Travellers called upon craftsmen to pack
and protect their individual objects.
At a time when the luggage was still rudimentary,
Vuitton broke with the tradition of rounded chests
and developed models that best fit the train wagons
and the holds of the ships. It adopts square shapes
- which allowed the suitcases to be stacked - and
adds refinement by overlaying them with a green
screen. As early as 1854, the French haute couture
had just emerged, and the designers who put the
booming fashion world around the Place de la
Madeleine. It was precisely in this neighbourhood
that Louis Vuitton, inaugurating his own Maison,
the Maison Louis Vuitton Malletier in central
Paris, introducing his first product: a suitcase
lined with waterproof fabric (which replaced the
leather) reinforced with metal ends in the corners,
making them more resistant, revolutionising the
concept of class travel. Vuitton revolutionised the
closures of bags and baggage, with an intelligent
closure system. One of the hallmarks of suitcases
and travel trunks that Vuitton created in 1886 was
the zipper, an intelligent system that made the
luggage almost feel like a treasure chest. ”
“One of the hallmarks of
suitcases and travel trunks
that Vuitton created in 1886
was the zipper, an intelligent
system that made the luggage
almost feel like a treasure
chest. ”
The wealthy families, who needed to travel
frequently and wanted to carry expensive clothes
and jewellery, began to have confidence in the
LV bags to carry their belongings. In addition,
he produced custom-made products of the most
varied species.
Examples are the chests that held photographic
materials, books and musical instruments.In 1885,
with his son Georges Vuitton working with his
father, his contribution was not enough in creating
the fabric but he also developed “The Library Trunk,”
a chest with secret drawers and custom-made shelves
that took the story of the writer Ernest Hemingway
and other renowned writers.
THE MONOGRAM CANVAS
At the same time, the company went through
problems related to imitations, so new concepts
and models were worked to maintain the
authenticity of the brand. This only took place
four years after the death of Louis Vuitton (1821 -
1892), in 1896, when Georges introduced the idea
of a logo on the products. Described as a “Japanese-
inspired flower pattern,” the initial goal of the
monogram was to prevent counterfeit luggage in
Paris and that pattern became one of the earliest
examples of fashion brands. The “vintage” pattern
of alternating squares between brown and beige
was known as Damier (French for checkered).
We can sum up with the certainty that there is
no magic formula, but there is an authentic and
lovable story that surrounds us from the start
right until the end, by the simplest fact of someone
believing that one could improve the every day
of the passionate traveller by revolutionising
art, treasuring the craftsmanship, elevating the
creativity and design. Nowadays, it belongs
faithful to their initial and immaculate concepts.
All this dots, representing astonishing detailing
make us call it luxury, “Art de Vivre”.
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