Our history in stories

From the legendary trunk to connected luggage. Nomadism reinvented.

Yesterday, discovering new worlds on luxury ocean liners driven by a thirst for exploration. Today, speed and jet lag from zipping across time zones and back. Louis Vuitton inventions are milestones in the history of travel. In 1867, the desire to discover distant lands became possible thanks to trunks crafted in zinc. Lightweight and watertight, they withstood the extreme conditions in tropical countries. And they became an instant classic that continues to inspire designers today.

In 2016, the Horizon collection redefined four-wheeled luggage. Compact and roomy, sturdy and lightweight, the suitcases elegantly accompany travelers through modern mega-airports. In early 2018 the collection was enriched with the Horizon Echo, the first connected suitcase, packed with new functions for the jetset, such as geolocation in international airports and alerts when the suitcase is opened. From Dubai to Hong Kong, peace of mind for passengers in transit.

A name and an open invitation to imagination.

A unique signature known as a symbol of excellence and rarity and still, a secret to discover. The Monogram canvas invites myriad interpretations. In 1896 the image of Maison Louis Vuitton took form around four motifs: a diamond with a four-petal flower inside, a negative shape of the same flower, a circle with a cutout of the flower and the interlaced LV initials. A timeless coat of arms, the Monogram is instantly synonymous with the name Louis Vuitton.

1959. A refreshing breeze of freedom as the New Wave sweeps across everything in its path. Luggage embraces the trend with supple soft sides, while the Monogram canvas comes to city bags, wallets, card holders and other leather goods. Icons are born as Speedy, Keepall and Noé transform streets around the world into fashion runways. The Monogram story continually adds new chapters. New York artist Stephen Sprouse tagged bags with graffiti in 2001. Japan’s Takashi Murakami brought his pop palette to bags worldwide. Streetwear brand Supreme proposed its own take on the logo and Jeff Koons signed the “Masters” collection. The Monogram is forever young.

New inventions, a story of passion.

New technologies and the desire to push boundaries always inspire Louis Vuitton. Products become treasures of savoir-faire. A unique key, an exclusive personal number, the invention of the five-tumbler lock in 1890 was a small technological revolution. This patented unpickable lock transformed the trunk into a safe. Even the renowned escape artist Houdini declined to challenge the exceptional creation that let travelers voyage in total tranquility. The optimism and excitement of new ideas that marked the early 20th century had special resonance in Asnières. In the park around the Atelier, apprentice inventors Pierre and Jean Vuitton designed the Vuitton-Huber. Displayed at the 1909 Exposition Internationale de la Locomotion Aérienne in the Grand Palais in Paris, the aircraft was equipped with two rotors turning in opposite directions and is considered one of the earliest precursors of the modern helicopter.

In 2018, the Tambour Moon Mystérieuse elevated luxury watchmaking to a new level in a remarkable tour de force. Louis Vuitton’s Fabrique du Temps watch manufactured in Geneva adapted the principle of the mysterious movement combined with a flying tourbillon escapement. The Louis Vuitton Monogram levitates in the center.

Journeys in the world of fragrance.

In the era of Art Deco, Louis Vuitton crafts vanity cases, transforming everyday objects into objets d’art. In a prologue to its first perfumes, the Maison showcases its creativity in travel flasks. The 1925 Paris Decorative Arts Exposition unveils Louis Vuitton’s first collaborations with leading designers, featuring furniture, glassware and ceramics pieces. Trunks and vanity cases are fitted with luxurious compacts, brushes and eaux de Cologne. The 50-piece Milano toiletries case includes cut crystal vials with vermillion stoppers, along with beauty travel essentials.

Enter the first perfume signed Louis Vuitton, Heures d’Absence, is encased in a mythic bottle shaped like roadside mile markers as an invitation to travel the world. Je Tu Il, Réminiscences and Eau de Voyage soon followed, although their ephemeral formulations will forever remain a mystery. In 2016, Master Perfumer Jacques Cavallier-Belletrud explored the world, returning with the different inspirations that would lead to seven fragrances. Seven olfactory journeys and a collection for a memorable trail. From absolute of Centifolia rose in a CO2 extraction to jasmine grandiflorum, he obtains the purest of scents. The infusion of natural leather from Louis Vuitton’s workshops imprints the notes of the Dans la peau fragrance on bare skin.

Family photos

In 1859, on a little corner of countryside just outside Paris, Asnières-sur-Seine, the Louis Vuitton family home and site of its production workshops sit. Here, some 30 artisans work in a metal-framed building to craft the trunks whose excellence is a great source of pride. A family photo in the courtyard of the Asnières workshop taken in 1888 displaying the delivery truck stacked with the creations that will earn the Maison global renown. Gathered around it are the trunkmakers, leather goods artisans and three generations of the Vuitton family. Louis is seated in front of his trunks, with Georges at his side. His grandson Gaston-Louis is stretched out on the trunk-bed.

The same façade, the same cobblestones, a hundred and thirty years later tells a different story of a production site and a place bursting with vitality. Asnières now welcomes customers eager to see their wildest dreams take form, along with new employees who marvel in wonder, designers in quest of inspiration and visitors with avid curiosity. A historic address and the cradle of Louis Vuitton’s savoir-faire. This is a place where each day brings a new adventure and where dreams become reality.