The development history of Louis Vuitton

In 1835, at the age of 14, Mr. Louis Vuitton said goodbye to his hometown in the village of Anchay in the Jura Mountains near the Swiss border, and walked 250 miles to Paris to pursue his career in the world. He came from a mill and carpenter's family, and worked as a small laborer on the road to meet his three meals and one night's expenses and earn money. Later, he focused on the craftsmanship of wood products, but this made him greatly improve his craftsmanship in making beech and poplar wood. It becomes a valuable experience that will last a lifetime.

In 1837, Mr. Louis Vuitton arrived in Huadu and was fortunate enough to become the Layetie-Emballeur apprentice of the luggage craftsman Mr. Marechal. At that time, the craftsmen who produced luggage were collectively called Layetie-Emballeur.

The first railway in France was opened to traffic in 1837, and a European steamship successfully crossed the Atlantic for the first time in 1838, marking the official arrival of the modern travel era. At that time, Paris trunk craftsmen hand-made poplar trunks that were very exquisite. , and they were good at packing gorgeous luggage for the royal family, so the demand for their products in Paris, the capital, soared.

In 1853, Louis Vuitton had been promoted to the boss's chief assistant and became Queen Eugenie's most trusted luggage expert. Since becoming a member of the royal family, fashionable guests from the upper class have flocked to the hotel.

Louis Vuitton married in 1854 and made the important decision to establish his own company in the same year. The couple opened a store at No. 4, Rue Neuve Des Capucines (today's Rue des Capucines), a prestigious location, just a stone's throw from Place Vendome and the later-built Opera House.

Louis Vuitton made an important and far-reaching decision immediately after establishing the company, which was to cover one of the suitcases with durable and waterproof canvas material. Four years later (in 1858), he launched a new product - a flat-top poplar trunk for easy transportation. The surface of this suitcase is covered with high-quality gray waterproof Trianon canvas. The corners are edged with metal and equipped with handles and brackets. The beech wood strips on the surface are fastened with rivets. The interior design is also thoughtful, with a row of bottom boxes and intervals for easy placement. A wide range of clothing and elegant accessories. This new design not only protects clothing and is easy to carry, but also marks the official birth of the ever-lasting Louis Vuitton luggage and modern travel culture.

In 1859, Louis Vuitton decided to move its production line to Asnieres, a suburb that had not been discovered by Impressionist painters. The quiet town of Asnieres is located on the banks of the Seine and has a very advantageous location: poplar wood for making suitcases can be transported by barge from the nearby Oise Valley, and the town is connected to Paris Saint-Lazare station by rail.

In 1871, the main store in Paris was not enough, so it was moved to No. 1, rue Scribe Avenue, opposite the famous Grand Hotel. At that time, the Grand Theater next door had not yet been completed.

At that time, the company's business was booming, but various imitations appeared on the market. In order to combat this plagiarism, Louis Vuitton added a red and white stripe pattern to the gray Trianon canvas in 1872. . His son Georges Vuitton took over the company's business in 1880. Later, in 1888, he launched a new more complex brown and white plaid pattern, and alternately printed the L.Vuitton logo, making it difficult for others to imitate. More than a century later, this checkered pattern has become the inspiration for another classic, the Damier series.

From the late 19th century to the early 20th century, George opened a branch in New York. Many big stars also go to Paris specifically to buy bags. Bags for various purposes have also come out. With the popularity of Louis Vuitton bags, many fakes have flooded the market. Although Louis Vuitton filed a lawsuit in this regard, it did not stop the proliferation of counterfeit goods. Louis Vuitton and his descendants have a strong interest in the world's advanced things and the development of transportation, technology, architecture, art and fashion, and have observed the world in detail. When fashion master Charles-Frederic Worth once pointed out to Louis Vuitton that the large skirts were about to disappear and lightweight skirt styles were about to replace them, he immediately understood and created a wardrobe style that opened upright on both sides in 1875. The suitcase has a clothes rack on one side and a row of drawers on the other side, so that travelers do not need to pack clothes repeatedly when traveling between places. The "Wardrobe" luggage remains one of Louis Vuitton's most iconic pieces.

As early as 1885, Louis Vuitton had opened a branch on Oxford Street, London. In 1898, George Vuitton was convinced of the development potential of the American market, so he signed a distribution agreement with John Wanamaker, the owner of a large department store chain. He first sold the brand's luggage in New York and Philadelphia, and later expanded to Boston, Chicago, Washington, and Los Angeles.

In 1905, two years before Henry Ford launched the Model car, the brand launched a waterproof "driver bag" that could be hidden in the center of the spare tire and used as a bathtub when necessary.

The earliest flight journeys were indispensable with the experimental "nacelle trunk" luggage. Even if there was an accident when landing on the water, the crew who piloted the spacecraft could still rely on the luggage to float on the water; another masterpiece was the light "aero trunk" luggage. Even if it is fully loaded with clothes, it only weighs 26 kilograms.

Another important revolutionary invention was the "unpickable" multi-tumble snap lock, which was launched in 1890 during George Vuitton's time in charge of the company. All luggage produced by the brand subsequently was equipped with it. This push-button lock is designed; each guest is assigned a personal lock number, that is, all the guest's luggage can be opened and closed with the same key. This system is still in use today.

In 1912, as the central business district of Paris gradually developed to the west, George Vuitton decided to build a new art style building on the Champs Elysées as the brand's flagship store. The building was completed in 1914, with " Go to "Paris - Louis Vuitton, founded 1845". The original location of the building was just opposite today's main store on the Champs Elysées, and the inscriptions on the wall are still clearly visible. After World War II, the demand for Monogram canvas products increased day by day, and the company decided to expand its global exclusive distribution network. The brand's attitude towards opening new stores was very strict, consistent with the concept of maintaining perfect product quality.

Louis Vuitton has opened more than 424 stores around the world, all of which are directly managed by the head office. In 1987, the brand merged with Moet Hennessy to form LVMH, the world's largest and most successful luxury goods group. During the same period, the brand's product range also continued to expand, first launching the brightly colored Epi leather goods series in 1985, followed by the men's Taiga leather goods series in 1993 and the Damier canvas series again in 1996; in the same year Louis Vuitton celebrated the Monogram For the 100th anniversary of its birth, seven famous fashion designers were specially commissioned to create limited edition Monogram handbags. The most unique designs are the leopard skin with Monogram created by Azzedine Alaia, and the "Ghost Horse" faux-cul travel bag designed by Vivienne Westwood.

In 1998, Louis Vuitton officially became a comprehensive fashion brand. Men's and women's ready-to-wear, shoes, accessories and jewelry departments were successively established. Marc Jacobs, a designer from New York, USA, was appointed as artistic director. At that time, the fashion industry was very surprised that "grunge master" Marc Jacobs entered the French palace brand. However, after several years of running in, the two became like a fish in water. Marc Jacobs collaborated with New York avant-garde artist Stephen Sprouse to create the Monogram Graffiti (graffiti series), and collaborated with Japanese artist Takashi Murakami to create the Eye Love Monogram, Monogram Multicolore and Monogram Cerises cherry series.

In 2004, Patrick Vuitton, the sixth generation descendant of Louis Vuitton, now has 13,600 craftsmen making bags, working in 14 workshops. In addition to 11 workshops in France, There are also production bases in Catalonia, Spain, and California, the United States. 80% of the work of making bags is done by hand. Louis Vuitton has also opened 314 luggage stores in 52 countries, including 9 in China alone. In 2002, its turnover was 3 billion euros, which tripled in 10 years. The profits are growing at a rate of 40%-45% every year. Japan is a big seller of Louis Vuitton products, accounting for 30% of its total sales. On the opening day of a Tokyo branch in 2002, there was a line of people waiting at the door that was 1 kilometer long. The second largest sales market is the United States.

In 1996, Louis Vuitton joined the L.v.m.h Group, greatly expanding its activity space. It not only mass-produces traditional products and high-end luggage, but also gets involved in fashion, watches, jewelry and other industries. Its business activities alone account for 70% of the group's total business volume.

In 2004, Louis Vuitton celebrated its 150th anniversary and erected huge suitcase-shaped tents as celebration party venues in New York, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Shanghai to pay high tribute to the founder of the brand. The brand has also opened large flagship stores in India, Russia, China, and South Africa. The main store building on the Champs Elysees, which is full of historical value, reopened in October 2005 after a comprehensive renovation project.

Louis Vuitton creative director Marc Jacobs will leave the company in October 2013 after a total of 16 years in office. Louis Vuitton appointed Nicolas Ghesquière to replace Ma Ge as its new creative director. In August 2007, former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev endorsed a Louis Vuitton bag advertisement.