VOYAGE TO SUCCESS

In honour of the 200th birth anniversary of Louis Vuitton, we unpack the history of a company that turned from a purveyor of luggage into a leading luxury brand that revolutionised the art of travel and fashion.

- Nawaf Rahman

Fact: Louis Vuitton as we know it today didn’t have a privileged start and the brand story didn’t actually begin in fashion. Descended from a humble family, Louis was born in 1821 in Anchay, a small village in the mountains of Eastern France. With nothing but sheer determination to lead a better life, the teenage Louis took numerous small jobs during his 450km journey to Paris before successfully became an apprentice for famous box maker and packer Romain Maréchal in the fashion capital.

Years after he had mastered his craft, Louis ventured out on his own to open a shop on the Rue Neuve des Capucines. The turning point of his career came in 1858 when he introduced the slat trunk, which was made with beech slats and covered in Trianon grey canvas. Aptly named the “Trianon Trunk”, it is considered the birth of modern luggage. Previous trunks at the time had arched tops to prevent water from seeping in when they got loaded into the cargo of ships or trains. The new design with a flat top and bottom and rectangular in shape, perfected by Louis himself, was not only stackable, but was also created with lighter and sturdier poplar wood that made it easier to transport. The creation came in time as the middle of the 19th century marked the beginning steam-powered travels.