Louis Vuitton

Louis Vuitton is a Parisian house international of French Maroquinerie of Luxe founded in 1854 by the Styliste leather dealer Louis Vuitton (1821 - 1892) whose work was continued by and taken again by its descendants. Louis Vuitton Malletier is one of the principal subsidiary companies of the group LVMH - Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA founded in 1987, and property of the billionaire Bernard Arnault since 1989).

History

Louis Vuitton

Louis Vuitton is born the August 4th 1821 with the Water mill from Chabouilla close to Anchay (40 km in the North-East of Borough-in-Bresse), small village of 148 inhabitants in the the Jura in Franche-Comté in a modest milieu. Very young person, he learns how to handle the tools near his father miller and Menuisier. In 1835, old 14 years, it leaves to try its chance with Paris and traverses with foot the 400 km which separate it from the capital. It enters in 1837 as apprentice at “layetier-packer Malletier” (trade which consisted in packing the many rich person customers businesses who left on a journey) and carries out trunks of voyage. It is occupied in particular from 1852 of the toilets of the empress Eugenie and makes recognize her know-how with close to the most fortunate customers.

The means of transport are then revolutionized by the Steam engine and the international Tourisme of the easy and aristocratic classes develops (Locomotive with vapor, Steamer etc) Louis Vuitton then understands quickly “that it is necessary to create innovative luggage and of great quality: luxate, functionality, innovation”.

In 1854, it founds the Louis Vuitton mark and opens its first store street New-of-Nasturtiums with Paris near the Place Vendôme. (There remain about it still signs on the pediment of the window of the Fields-Elysées where he is registered: Louis Vuitton, Malletier in Paris, house founded in 1854 ).

Louis invents the trunk Louis Vuitton punt, comfortable, practical and of quality, more easily stackable than the traditional trunks with the welch plugs of then.

In 1859, it increases and transfers its workshop from a score of employees to Asnières-sur-Seine at the edge of the the Seine, to benefit from the river transport. It makes build with his wife Emilie, her family residence near the workshops, become since a Vuitton museum, in a street renamed since “Street Louis Vuitton”.

Georges Vuitton

In the Years 1870, it is joined by his/her son Georges Vuitton who incites it to develop the company successfully abroad.

In 1885, a first shop opens out of France successfully on Oxford Street with London followed by New York then Philadelphia.

In 1888, Louis decides to thwart the first Contrefaçon S by adopting a new printed paper form of checkerwork beige and brown with the inscription “Marque Louis Vuitton deposited”.

In 1892, Louis Vuitton disappears. His/her Georges son helped by all the family succeeds to him the head of his empire which they develop with same success as their predecessor.

In 1896 Georges his famous revolutionary fabric personally “Monogram LV creates” of which it makes the emblem of the mark. An Impermeable fabric coated perfectly color clear gray, called “Trianon Gray”, resistant and light to replace the Leather.

Gaston-Louis Vuitton and Claude-Louis Vuitton

In 1959, Gaston-Louis Vuitton (who direct the house since 1936), oldest son of Georges, and his son Claude-Louis Vuitton, develop a new flexible fabric coated containing flax, of Coton and PVC which dopes the sales of the house.

Odile Vuitton

Odile Vuitton, one of the girls of Gaston-Louis, and her husband Henri Racamier, president of the company from 1977 transform the mark into a multinational company.

In 1987, the Holding “Louis Vuitton SA” groups side with the Bourse de Paris, and owner of marks like Louis Vuitton and Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin, amalgamates with Moët Hennessy to form LVMH - Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA (LVMH), first group of Luxe of the world.

Bernard Arnault

In 1989, the Business man billionaire Bernard Arnault lance a tender offer with the assistance of the Bank Lazard, takes the control of the group while becoming majority shareholder with 42% and develops it since to make of it the most important group of luxury of the world by diversifying the production with collections of Prêt-à-porter, Chaussure S, Horlogerie, etc

International company

The Louis Vuitton house still has its workshop with Asnières-sur-Seine, in the Hauts-de-Seine, which carries out the special orders and perpetuates the taste of the overmeasure.

For its Bag S, Vuitton uses the Cuir, but also the Toile. Among most known the fabric Trianon gray, but also the beige and red striped fabric, the fabric checkerwork as well as the fabric monogram LV which is declined today in several colors.

Symbol of Louis Vuitton since 1896, the fabric monogram LV reconciles solidity, robustness, flexibility and lightness. It is completely impermeable and far from vulnerable to the scratches of surface. It thus adapts perfectly to the new manners of travelling and of living. From now on there exist new interpretations of the monogram . Most famous is multicoloured, version visionary and avant-gardist with 33 colors but it also exists out of patent leather, Jean' S, etc

Structure

Architecture is a family tradition. In 1912, the son of Louis Vuitton makes build in full heart of Paris, on the Fields-Élysées, a beautiful building of inspiration art nouveau . Then, with its opening on the world, the mark has from now on stores with London, New York and Tokyo, in places where the concern of architecture is respected.

Sporting patronage

The Louis Vuitton group is invested in many projects representative of its opening on the world: international yachting with the Cut of America whose Coupe Louis-Vuitton is the prolog (of 1983 with 2007, until the advertisement of its withdrawal); an automobile contest of elegance and charm is also organized in Paris: the Louis Vuitton Classic .

Contemporary art

Under the impulse of Bernard Arnault, LVMH launches in 2006 the project of the Fondation Louis-Vuitton for creation and the Contemporary art which must join together part of the private collection of Bernard Arnault and the works acquired by group LVMH these last years. This center should open its doors in 2010 with the Zoological gardens to Paris. The building whose project is called “cloud” will be the work of the Architecte américano-Canadian Frank Gehry.

Fashion LVMH

In 1998, the Louis Vuitton mark opens with a new field of competence: the mode. Since, the mark posts departments Prêt-à-porter, Soulier S, accessories and Joaillerie with the new artistic director Marc Jacobs.

After Jennifer Lopez or Uma Thurman, its new egery for the countryside spring-be 2007 is Scarlett Johansson.

Today, Louis Vuitton is present in more than 53 countries in addition to France. The last stores opened in Russia, with Moscow, and in India, with New Delhi.

In 2004, the mark celebrated its 150 years.

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