Louis Vuitton

Louis Vuitton founded his luggage company in 1854, and it soon became known for its canvas traveling trunk, first launched in 1856. His son, Georges Vuitton took over the company upon his father’s death in 1892. The iconic monogram logo dates to 1896, when it was first used on the company’s canvas trunk design. The company prioritized equally the utilitarian aspects of the trunk and its design. Catering to first class travel, Vuitton designs gained popularity not only for their stylish exteriors, but also because of Vuitton’s willingness to custom modify trunks for different types of travel.

Over the next century, Louis Vuitton would become synonymous with luxury travel goods. During the 1950s and 1960s, the house created bags from leather instead of the brand's usual canvas. During the latter half of the twentieth-century, wallets, purses, and other small leather goods would become key products for the brand, which still offered an assortment of luggage. In 1987 Louis Vuitton merged with Moët Hennessy and two years later the LVMH luxury group was created. It was not until 1997 that Louis Vuitton expanded into women’s ready-to-wear, when American designer Marc Jacobs was appointed as creative director. Jacobs was an unexpected choice due to his grunge aesthetics, yet he deftly identified the codes of the fashion house and reinterpreted them through his own perspective, strengthening the brand. Notably, in 2002 Jacobs collaborated with Japanese artist Takashi Murakami to reimagine the LV monogram print in a rainbow of colors. However, this well-known collaboration was not the brand's first encounter with recruiting artists to design for the house. During the 1920s, Gaston-Louis Vuitton, a third-generation member of the family, collaborated with artists such as jeweler, medalist, and glass designer René Jules Lalique on luggage designs for the brand, demonstrating that artist collaborations have been a continuous part of the brand’s DNA.

In 2013, Marc Jacobs stepped down and was succeeded by Nicolas Ghesquière, former creative director of Balenciaga, who continues to design for the house and is known for his futuristic interpretations.