Louis VuittonLouis Vuitton was born on August 4, 1821 in Anchay, Jura, France. His success was not recognized until after his death, in February 1892. When he was fourteen, he moved to Paris and two years later started working with Monsieur Marechal making trunks. Louis married many years later and had a son, Georges, who would one day, be given control over the business. Louis started selling his handbags, but would soon die, giving full control of his company to Georges. More than a century later, Vuitton's handbags and luggage are now a status symbol around the world and are often looked to in the world of fashion. Louis Vuitton started his business with a flat luggage trunk. This luggage was lightweight and covered in Vuitton's signature grey Trianon canvas. Almost instantly the Trianon became linked with gracious traveling and elegant travelers. The trunk was bought by France's Empress Eugénie in its first year of sale. Years later, Vuitton was forced to relocate to Asniéres, where he expanded his business due to increasing demands. Later, Louis Vuitton won a bronze medal at the World's Fair for his designs. Vuitton gained ground in the industry although many of his works were getting copied. Nearing the turn of the century, Louis Vuitton made history over and over again. Louis introduced another gold medal worthy pattern. This pattern was a checkerboard, beige and chestnut, and had the inscription "Louis Vuitton, marque deposee". Just before the start of the new millennium, Louis introduced the lasting Monogram Canvas, which is the Louis Vuitton trademark canvas. The canvas used various symbols and the Louis Vuitton logo, LV. Between the revolutionary flat trunks and the enduring Monogram Canvas, Louis Vuitton history in the 19th Century is a mirror of the period's devotion to luxury, elegance, and the very finest in travel accessories. The history of Louis Vuitton, both the man and the company, is a history that is not a thing of the past and is still an ongoing phenomenon in the latest century. |