Louis Vuitton

Coordinates: 48°51′33″N 2°20′38″E / 48.8593°N 2.3439°E / 48.8593; 2.3439
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Louis Vuitton Malletier SAS
LVMH
Websitelouisvuitton.com
Interior view of the Louis Vuitton flagship store in the Champs-Elysées

Louis Vuitton Malletier, commonly known as Louis Vuitton (

departmental stores, and through the e-commerce section of its website.[5][6]

For six consecutive years (2006–2012), Louis Vuitton was named the world's most valuable luxury brand. Its 2012 valuation was US$25.9 billion.[7] In 2013, the valuation of the brand was US$28.4 billion with revenue of US$9.4 billion.[8] The company operates in 50 countries with more than 460 stores worldwide.[9] It is a subsidiary of LVMH.

History

Founding to World War II

The Louis Vuitton label was founded by Vuitton in 1854 on Rue Neuve des Capucines in Paris.[10] Louis Vuitton had observed that the HJ Cave Osilite[11] trunk could be easily stacked. In 1858, Vuitton introduced his flat-topped trunks with Trianon canvas, making them lightweight and airtight.[10] Before the introduction of Vuitton's trunks, rounded-top trunks were used, generally to promote water runoff, and thus could not be stacked. It was Vuitton's gray Trianon canvas flat trunk that allowed the ability to stack them on top of another with ease for voyages. Many other luggage makers later imitated Vuitton's style and design.[6]

The company participated in the 1867 Universal Exhibition in Paris.[10] In 1871, Ōyama Iwao became the first recorded Japanese customer, ordering a set of luggage while in Paris as a military observer during the Franco-Prussian War.[12] To protect against the duplication of his look, Vuitton changed the Trianon design to a beige-and-brown stripes design in 1876.[6] By 1885, the company opened its first store in London on Oxford Street.[10] Soon thereafter, due to the continuing imitation of his look, in 1888, Vuitton created the Damier Canvas pattern, which bore a logo that reads "marque L. Vuitton déposée", which translates into "L. Vuitton registered trademark". In 1892, Louis Vuitton died, and the company's management passed to his son.[6][10]

Ad for Louis Vuitton luggage, 1898

After the death of his father, Georges Vuitton began a campaign to build the company into a worldwide corporation, exhibiting the company's products at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. In 1896, the company launched the signature Monogram canvas[13] and made the worldwide patents on it.[6][10] Its graphic symbols, including quatrefoils and flowers (as well as the LV monogram), were based on the trend of using Japanese Mon designs in the late Victorian era.[14] The patents later proved to be successful in stopping counterfeiting. In this same year, Georges travelled to the United States, where he toured cities such as New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago, selling Vuitton products. In 1901, the Louis Vuitton Company introduced the Steamer Bag, a smaller piece of luggage designed to be kept inside Vuitton luggage trunks.

By 1913, the Louis Vuitton Building opened on the

Bombay, Washington, London, Alexandria, and Buenos Aires as World War I began. Afterwards, in 1930, the Keepall bag was introduced. During 1932, LV introduced the Noé bag. This bag was originally made for champagne vintners to transport bottles. Soon thereafter, the Louis Vuitton Speedy bag was introduced (both are still manufactured today).[10] In 1936 Georges Vuitton died, and his son, Gaston-Louis Vuitton, assumed control of the company.[10]

WWII Nazi collaboration

During World War II, Louis Vuitton

Nazis during the German occupation of France. The French book Louis Vuitton, A French Saga, authored by French journalist Stephanie Bonvicini and published by Paris-based Editions Fayard,[15] tells how members of the Vuitton family actively aided the Vichy government led by Marshal Philippe Pétain
and increased their wealth from their business affairs with the Germans. The family set up a factory dedicated to producing artefacts glorifying Pétain, including more than 2,500 busts.

Caroline Babulle, a spokeswoman for the publisher, Fayard, said: "They have not contested anything in the book, but they are trying to bury it by pretending it doesn't exist."

Le Canard Enchaîné: "We don't deny the facts, but regrettably the author has exaggerated the Vichy episode. We haven't put any pressure on anyone. If the journalists want to censor themselves, then that suits us fine." That publication was the only French periodical to mention the book, possibly because LVMH is the country's biggest advertiser in the press.[16]

1945 through 2000