The story behind iconic luxury brand Louis Vuitton — best known for its esteemed handbags, crossbody bags, leather goods, ready-to-wear clothing and more — is one of craft and innovation in the worlds of fashion, jewelry and furniture.
The company’s modest origins can be traced back to when its founder, Louis Vuitton (1821–92), wishing to free himself from the conventional lifestyle in his provincial French city of Anchay as well as a difficult stepmother, left in the early 1830s to make a new life in Paris. The young Vuitton was 13 at the time and would need to travel on foot to get to the capital, which was hundreds of miles away. With stops along the way to make money so that he could forge ahead, the journey took a couple of years, but reward was close at hand.
When he arrived in Paris, Vuitton made a living with his hands. He toiled as a box maker and packer for more than a decade and built relationships with royals and members of the upper class while working for the empress of France, Eugenie de Montijo. In 1854, Vuitton launched his namesake company. The craftsman opened a humble workshop on rue Neuve des Capucines and advertised his services with a small poster that read: “Securely packs the most fragile objects. Specializing in packing fashions.”
Long before his brand would become known globally for its exemplary top-handle bags and stylish totes, Vuitton produced stackable and rectangular trunks. The most common trunks of the era were round, which weren’t ideal for toting and storing. In 1858, Vuitton debuted his lightweight, handcrafted canvas trunks, which were sturdy, rugged and equipped with convenient compartments. Travel’s popularity broadened in the late 19th century, and Vuitton’s trunks could easily be packed into train cars and ships — upright trunks meant hanging wardrobe storage that would allow his clients to transport their sophisticated garments without worry. Demand increased and the company grew. When Louis Vuitton died in 1892, control of the luxury house was passed onto his only son, Georges Vuitton.
In 1914, a Louis Vuitton store opened at 70 Champs-Élysées. The largest travel-goods store in the world at the time, it became the company’s flagship.
The Louis Vuitton brand embodies all the attributes of luxury, from the craftsmanship, exclusivity and relevance to heritage. It’s only appropriate that it boasts one of the most recognizable insignias — the imaginative interlocking of letters and fleurettes — in the fashion world. The famous LV monogram was first used in 1896 as part of an initiative by Georges to prevent counterfeiting of his coveted new line of travel trunks. It’s one of the earliest examples of fashion branding.
The LV monogram would soon appear on everything from bags and various fashion accessories to alligator-skin champagne cases, from stylish apparel and earrings to teddy bears and airplane models.
On 1stDibs, the unmistakable insignia can be found on both modern and vintage Louis Vuitton shoulder bags, suitcases, original 19th-century trunks, jackets and more.
$27Sale Price|20% Off
2002 Louis Vuitton City Guide French Edition - Madrid Barcelona Grenada Seville
By Louis Vuitton
Located in London, GB
2002 Louis Vuitton City Guide French Edition - Madrid Barcelona Grenada Seville Lisbon, Pastel Lime Green Paper cover Dimensions: 12.1 x 20.5 x 0....
$32Sale Price|20% Off
2002 Louis Vuitton City Guide French Edition London Dublin Brussels Antwerp
By Louis Vuitton
Located in London, GB
2002 Louis Vuitton City Guide French Edition - London Dublin Brussels Antwerp, Pastel Lime Green Paper cover Dimensions: 12.1 x 20.5 x 0.6 cm Pu...
$32Sale Price|20% Off
2002 Louis Vuitton City Guide French Edition Berlin Hamburg Munich Geneva Zurich
By Louis Vuitton
Located in London, GB
2002 Louis Vuitton City Guide French Edition - Berlin Hamburg Munich Geneva Zurich, Pastel Lime Green Paper cover Dimensions: 12.1 x 20.5 x 0.6 cm Publisher: Louis Vuitton Langu...
$32Sale Price|20% Off
2002 Louis Vuitton City Guide French Edition Amsterdam Stockholm Copenhagen
By Louis Vuitton
Located in London, GB
2002 Louis Vuitton City Guide French Edition - Amsterdam Stockholm Copenhagen Helsinki, Pastel Lime Green Paper cover Dimensions: 12.1 x 20.5 x 0...
2002 Louis Vuitton City Guide French Edition Rome Florence Milan Venice
By Louis Vuitton
Located in London, GB
2002 Louis Vuitton City Guide French Edition -Rome Florence Milan Venice, Pastel Lime Green Paper cover Dimensions: 12.1 x 20.5 x 0.6 cm Publisher:...
$76Sale Price|20% Off
Bulgari Catalog, Jewelry and Watches Collection 2011
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Bvlgari catalog, jewelry and watches. Bulgari "Serpenti" Collection of 2011. Hardcover catalog of one of the most famous Luxury Jewellery maker in the ...
$144Sale Price|20% Off
W 3.74 in L 6.5 in
c. 1910s–1920s Antique Geo. W. Noble Spiritual Pocket Book with Original Cover
Located in Honolulu, HI
An exquisite piece of literary history—this original 1910s–1920s antique pocket book was published by the renowned Geo. W. Noble in Chicago. Titled "The Swo...
Chanel The Metropolitan Museum of Art Hardcover Book circa 2005
By Chanel
Located in University City, MO
Chanel The Metropolitan Museum of Art hardcover book c 2005 A beautiful collection of Chanel's luxurious garments; with fine and costume jewelry designs Showcases the exquisite co...
$236Sale Price|20% Off
H 12 in W 9.5 in D 1.5 in
2007 American Fashion Hardcover Coffee Table Book Assouline
By Assouline Publishing
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
American Fashion Hardcover Coffee Table Book Assouline 2007. American Fashion by Assouline, published in 2007 is a comprehensive and beautifully illustrated overview of the history o...
Face Forward by Kevyn Aucoin: 2000 Hardcover Makeup Artistry Book
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Face Forward By Kevyn Aucoin Hardcover Book. Face Forward is a cosmetics book written by Kevyn Aucoin. It was a New York Times bestseller. The book was widely noted for introducing ...
$412Sale Price|25% Off
L 7.75 in
c. 1930s–1950s Antique Italian Sterling Silver & Rock Crystal Rosary in Case
Located in Honolulu, HI
A breathtaking treasure of European sacred art—this original mid-century Italian rosary set hails from Milan, the historical center of fine religious craftsmanship. Dating from the 1...
$245
W 9.75 in D 1.5 in L 11.75 in
Couture The Great Designers Book by Caroline Rennolds Millbank c 1985
Located in University City, MO
Couture The great designers hardcover book by Caoline Rennolds Millbank c 1985 The 415 page hardcover begins in the 1840s with Charles Frederick Worth...
$69
H 12 in W 12 in D 1 in
Louis Comfort Tiffany Masterworks Hardcover Book by Bedoyere D. E. La Camilla
By Louis Comfort Tiffany
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Louis Comfort Tiffany Masterworks Hardcover Book by Bedoyere D. E. La Camilla. Louis Comfort Tiffany was highly skilled in jewellery design, as well as ceramics, enamels, and metalwo...
$220Sale Price|20% Off
H 10.5 in W 8.5 in
Hermes Vintage Paris Auction Catalog 2018 Published by Gros & Delettrez
By Hermès
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Paris Hermes Vintage Auction Catalog June 2018 Published by Gros & Delettrez, Hermes Vintage Paris Auction Catalog 2018. Published by Gros & Delet...
Vintage Vogue Magazine : July 1977
By Vogue
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Vogue Magazine July 1977 __________________________ A packed issue with lots of beautiful photos and interesting articles! Features include: • Holiday Clothes in Greece • Two Da...
The Story of Jewelry 1st ED. 1973 by J. Anderson Hardcover Book
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
The Story of Jewelry 1973 by J. Anderson. Introduction by Edward Lucie-Smith Black Hardcover Book. Translate from Italian. J. Anderson Black - Storia dei gioielli English text. Documents jewelry's history from the primitive ornaments of prehistoric times to the abstract simplicity of modern design. This book offers a unique way of exploring the world of vintage jewelry for experts, newcomers, and anyone with an interest in the topic. Every piece of jewelry tells a story. Each chapter is centered around a particular piece of jewelry and the way in which it is emblematic: a previous owner, an exemplary design or dominant material. From an array of historic pieces...
$520Sale Price|20% Off
H 13.5 in W 11 in D 3 in
Maharaja's Jewels Hardcover Table Book by Katherine Prior, Assouline
By Assouline Publishing
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Maharaja's Jewels Table Book by Katherine Prior, Assouline. The stories of Indian princes and their jewelry and precious stones are brought together in this illustrated narrative tracing the rise and fall of India's leading royal houses through the dramatic fortunes of their crown jewels. Traditionally, precious metals and jewels have been, for Indians rich and poor, a repository of wealth and a status symbol. For the reigning families, jewels also had symbolic and religious significance. Also here are the original drawings by great European jewelers of the pieces they designed for their exotic and demanding clients. The text is both lively and scholarly, drawing from descriptions of such travelers as Marco Polo and Tavernier as well as Sanskrit dramatists extolling the riches of India. The core of this lavishly photographed book is the encounter between Indian princely magnificence and the best of European Jewellery designers in the 20th century when many of the Maharaja's travelled to Europe with trunks filled with traditional Indian jewels and unset stones...
Louis Vuitton Murakami Lucite Book New
By Louis Vuitton
Located in West Hollywood, CA
The Murakami Rizzoli 2009 Cover book Art Fashion Architecture. Features over 400 pages of multiple artists who have worked with LV throughout the years as well as many of LV architec...