When you think of high-end fashion, Louis Vuitton is often one of the top brands that spring to mind.
This luxury brand has been around for decades, gaining global fame and becoming one of the world’s most popular names in fashion.
But what else is there to know about Louis Vuitton aside from being a household name and selling luxury items around the world?
Louis Vuitton is never on sale.
Anyone hoping to snag a discounted bag at the next sale could be very disappointed. Louis Vuitton never has special offers but stocks products at fixed prices all year round.
You will not find any Louis Vuitton outlet stores, nor will you see that this company sells wholesale.
The brand warns its customers against buying heavily discounted bags online, which are often counterfeit goods.
Louis Vuitton isn’t the only company taking this approach. Other brands notorious for their lack of discounted sales include Apple and Chanel.
Louis Vuitton started selling suitcases.
Louis Vuitton was founded in 1854 by 33-year-old Louis Vuitton. The first products he made for his new Parisian company were suitcases.
When Louis Vuitton died in 1892, the business passed to his son (and only child) Georges.
By this point, the brand was beginning to branch out internationally, reaching customers outside of Paris.
The range of suitcases continued to expand, and by the 1930s Louis Vuitton was also making smaller bags and purses.
Three generations of Vuitton men have made it.
When Georges Vuitton died in 1936, his eldest son, Gaston, inherited the company. Gaston became the third generation of Vuitton men to run the brand.
Under Gaston Vuitton, the company began making smaller bags and luggage.
Leather became the main material of the Louis Vuitton products for which the brand is known today.
A new form of luggage compartment was born by Louis Vuitton.
Louis Vuitton luggage cases didn’t have the traditional shape and style.
He was the first designer to design cases with square instead of rounded corners. This new design allowed the logs to be stacked more easily.
With more effective storage options, customers could take their low-voltage cases on trains and ocean liners – methods of transportation that were very new in the late 19th centuryth Century.
The famous LV monogram came after Louis Vuitton died.
While one might assume that Louis Vuitton himself created the famous LV monogram, it actually came long after his death.
His son Georges Vuitton designed the overlapping “L” and “V” logo in 1896, four years after Louis’ death.
The simple floral design paid homage to Louis Vuitton and has become one of the most iconic fashion brands in the world.
The new brand also helped fight counterfeiting and made it easier for Georges to expand the business globally.
Georges Vuitton publicly challenged Harry Houdini to escape a new security lock.
Before the death of Louis Vuitton, he and his son Georges developed a revolutionary new locking system to make their customers’ luggage more secure.
Thieves often looked for expensive luggage belonging to wealthy people. The new system made it safer for customers and harder for thieves to break in.
When Georges patented the system a few years later, he publicly challenged illusionist and escape artist Harry Houdini to break out of a trunk.
Though Houdini didn’t take up the challenge, it served as a confident advertisement for the new security feature.
During World War II, the company had ties to the Nazi regime.
After the Nazi invasion of France in 1940, many fashion houses were ordered to close unless they cooperated with the regime.
Under the direction of Gaston Vuitton, Louis Vuitton did not close and collaborated with the Nazi-backed government.
Gaston’s son and Louis Vuitton’s great-grandson, Henry Vuitton received awards for his support and loyalty to the Nazi regime.
Louis Vuitton bags are almost invincible.
One of the reasons these luxury bags are so expensive is that they are incredibly durable and strong.
Louis Vuitton materials can withstand almost any condition, including heavy water and even fire.
During the manufacturing process, bags are repeatedly dropped to test their durability. The zippers are opened and closed around 5,000 times.
However, despite their durable and fireproof nature, end-of-season bags are incinerated rather than being sold at a discount.
This helps maintain the Louis Vuitton hallmark of quality and exclusivity.
Emma Stone and Lea Seydoux are among the famous LV faces.
Everything about Louis Vuitton is considered exclusive, including the opportunity to model for the company.
High-end brands want high-profile models, so it’s no surprise that A-listers Emma Stone, Léa Seydoux and Alicia Vikander are among the famous faces at Louis Vuitton.
In addition to actresses, Louis Vuitton works with many famous models, including Lauren Case and Kristen Coffey.
Louis Vuitton worked for Napoleon’s wife Joséphine.
You may be wondering how Louis Vuitton managed to attract such a wealthy and high-quality clientele to its company.
In 1852 he had a stroke of luck when he was asked to work for Joséphine, wife of Napoleon, Emperor of France.
Louis Vuitton was Joséphine’s box maker, an experience that allowed his creations to reach royalty and wealthy figures far and wide.
The Speedy was made famous by Audrey Hepburn.
In the 1960s, actress and model Audrey Hepburn approached Louis Vuitton and asked the company to make her a mini Speedy.
The design for “Speedy” was created in 1930 and was initially intended as a suitcase.
But Audrey Hepburn’s love for her new bag made her more popular than ever; Today it is available in different sizes.
Louis Vuitton brings decades of history and has come a long way since its humble beginnings.
Operating in dozens of countries today, LV is one of the most popular brands – not only in the fashion industry, but all over the world!