1945: Pierre Balmain founded his eponymous brand at 44 rue François 1er in Paris. In post-war France, his Jolie Madame look, with a marked waist and extraordinary ornamentation, would soon establish itself as the new female fashion. Celebrities wouldn’t take long to get their hands on it. In the 50s, Balmainwas called on by France’s budding stars: Juliette...
“Stores will become museums” – this premonition comes from the Nostradamus of art and pop culture, Andy Warhol. When you see the marvel that is the Louis Vuitton store on the Champs-Elysées, it’s obvious that he wasn’t too far off. London, New York, Jakarta, Hong Kong, and a number of others… while the trunkmaker is...
At age 14 Louis Vuitton tied his destiny to Paris when he took off as a washer-packager apprentice. The young man found himself at the epicenter of a Paris in transformation, with changes and technical progress abounding as the Industrial Revolution was in full swing. In 1837, the first French railway was inaugurated. From then...
The Louis Vuitton Monogram hides a thousand secrets that have nourished the collective imagination, from its initial inspiration to its more contemporary renderings. In 1896, one of the most coveted signatures on the planet first came out. Georges Vuitton, Louis’ son, would take up his father’s mantle after his death. To pay homage to him,...
In 1896, Georges Vuitton, having taken over for his deceased father Louis, imagined a new canvas to cover the flawless baggage produced by his brand. This new canvas was meant to incarnate all the inspiration, charm, and quality of Louis Vuitton luggage. The Monogram canvas was born as an inspired and authentic composition – indeed...
Louis Vuitton is an iconic logo made of an inspired and inspiring Monogram, epi leather, unequalled trunk making, but also an unpickable lock. The destiny of the most emblematic trunkmaker in history is so intrinsically linked to travel that it’s no wonder they’re concerned with practicality, security, and elegance. 1854: Louis Vuitton founds his eponymous...
Louis Vuitton’s story is undeniably linked to the long march of history. When Louis Vuitton founded his brand in 1854, the trunker’s creations were so ingenious that they would attract travel pioneers and explorers. The unpickable lock was just one argument in their favor. In 1868, the trunker equipped French explorer Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza...
Louis Vuitton’s heritage is undeniably engraved in the quality of its pieces, but it’s also incarnated in the traits of many a female icon. The first of them was Empress Eugénie. In 1854, the wife of Louis Napoléon Bonaparte tasked Louis Vuitton with confectioning her personal baggage. One century later, the trunker’s reputation was still...
In 1889, all of Paris was abuzz with the approaching Universal Exposition that would be held that year from May 5 to October 31. This would be a special one; for the centennial of the French Revolution, Parisians and visitors were promised unparalleled novelties. An art nouveau iron construction would soon tower over Paris. It...
Unlike many in the fashion realm, Pierre Balmain developed style as a way of life very early on. Balmain wanted this way of life to be far from the type of femininity and restrictions imposed by WWII. Paris became a moving feast once more with salons and balls aplenty, and haute couture became the incarnation...
