15 Things You Didn't Know About LOUIS VUITTON
15 things you didn't know about louis vuitton. Welcome to alux.com, the place where future billionaires come to get inspired. Hello, Alexers, and welcome to another exciting original video presented by alux.com. Today, we're going to look at the number one luxury fashion brand in the world, Louis Vuitton.
Back before his name became synonymous with high-end fashion, Louis Vuitton was a box maker and packer who owned his own shop in Paris. His business expanded tremendously when he introduced the first rectangular-shaped trunks in 1858, which were revolutionary at the time because they were able to be stacked, unlike the round trunks that were commonly used back then. He worked primarily as a luggage maker for the rest of his life, building a strong reputation for the Louis Vuitton name with his high-quality innovative designs. When Louis passed away in 1892, his son George took over the Louis Vuitton company. He expanded the product line and created the signature look that is still featured on LV products today. By 1913, he was operating the largest travel goods store in the world, and he then started opening stores in other countries.
Louis Vuitton has consistently been a sign of luxury for well over 100 years, and it is now a fashion house that sells a variety of products, including handbags, sunglasses, leather goods, luxury trunks, jewelry, and clothing. The brand is currently valued at 28.8 billion dollars, and they bring in nearly 10 billion dollars in sales annually. If you're new here, welcome! Be sure to subscribe and follow us on Instagram at Alux.
Okay, that's enough background; it's time to look at the 15 things you didn't know about Louis Vuitton.
Number one: Louis Vuitton left home at the age of 13. Louis became an orphan at a young age, with his mother dying when he was only 10 years old and his father dying soon after. When he was 13, he made up his mind to go to Paris. He set out on foot from his home in eastern France in the spring of 1835 on a 292-mile journey to the capital city. The trek took longer than two years, and during this time, Louis took odd jobs and stayed wherever he could find shelter. He arrived in Paris at the age of 16 in 1837.
Number two: Audrey Hepburn is responsible for the popularity of the Speedy handbag. One of LV's iconic products is the Speedy handbag. If you love this bag, you have Audrey Hepburn to thank because her requested version of the Speedy bag was made popular in 1965. She asked for a miniature day bag version of the brand's popular Keepall travel bag. The first Speedy was made in 1930, but the smaller version was made specifically for Hepburn, and then the bag became a regular production piece and one of the brand's signature pieces.
Number three: Louis Vuitton's business started taking off when he worked with royalty. When Louis traveled to Paris, he became an apprentice box maker and packer, which was a very respectable job at the time. He built a reputation for himself in the industry to the point where he was hired by the Empress of France to be her personal box maker and packer. This led to him acquiring other elite and royal clients who supported his business throughout his career.
Number four: Leftover products are burned or shredded after every season. If you're an LV lover, the thought of an elite collection of unused bags being shredded or burned is probably enough to give you nightmares, but this is exactly what happens at the end of each season. Any unsold items are gathered in a big warehouse where they are offered to Louis Vuitton employees at discounted prices. There are strict rules that apply, though, and each item is tracked to ensure it doesn't end up on eBay; and if it does, they will know exactly who is responsible. Any items that remain unsold will be shredded or burned.
Number five: Their most expensive bag sold for one hundred thirty-three thousand four hundred dollars. In 2012, Louis Vuitton worked with Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama to create the limited edition Kusama Pumpkin Minno Dier Dual Bag. The pumpkin-shaped bag is made with pure gold, black resin, and fine jewels, inspired by the style of small evening bags popular in the 1930s. This rare bag sold for 133,400 dollars, making it the most expensive Louis Vuitton purse ever sold. Even if you had that kind of money to put toward a purse, it's unlikely you could get your hands on one, as only five were made.
Number six: Louis Vuitton products never go on sale. If you're waiting around hoping the price is going to come down on that LV bag you have your eye on, you're going to be very disappointed. Louis Vuitton never lowers their prices on publicly sold products, and they don't sell to discount outlets. In fact, they say on their website that if you come across a reduced price LV product, it's most likely counterfeit unless it's a secondhand item.
Number seven: LV didn't have a fashion line or creative director until 1997. Louis Vuitton is often referred to as a French fashion house, so it may be surprising to find out that they did not have their own fashion line until 1997, when Marc Jacobs was hired as the first creative director. He created the brand's ready-to-wear collection and oversaw the development of Louis Vuitton as a fashion brand.
Number eight: LV sued Britney Spears. Louis Vuitton has a team of about 60 people who work with lawyers and investigators to combat counterfeiting and misrepresentation of their products. This has led to numerous lawsuits, including a 2007 suit against Britney Spears. In Britney's music video for "Do Something," some fingers are seen tapping on the dashboard of a hot pink Hummer that features Louis Vuitton's cherry blossom design along with the LV logo. Louis Vuitton contended that they did not allow the use of their design and said that the use was an attack on their brand. Although Britney was not found liable, MTV and Sony BMG were ordered to stop showing the video and were each fined around ninety thousand dollars.
Number nine: Their handbags are both waterproof and fireproof. One reason why the designer can justify their high price tag is that all of their handbags are waterproof and fireproof and go through extensive durability testing to ensure their quality.
Number ten: LV made a customized trunk for a rubber duck. Anyone can order a customized trunk at any Louis Vuitton shop in the world, but you better be ready to pay up. A small non-customized case costs nearly six thousand dollars, but the customized options cost much more. Louis Vuitton himself started his business by creating customized trunks, and this is still an important part of the company. The possibilities are endless. Trunks have been specially created for items such as dogs, Barbies, teddy bears, golf clubs, baby bottles, cigars, and tennis rackets. One of the most unusual boxes ever custom made was for a rubber ducky named Willy. No matter what the request is, the designers at the specialty shop will work to meet your demands, as long as you have the cash. They even designed a trunk with a built-in coffee maker, TV, and DVD player powered by a solar panel. Karl Lagerfeld of the famous Chanel brand also commissioned LV to create a trunk for him that would hold 40 iPods, and they happily complied. If you want to find out more interesting facts about Lagerfeld, click on the upper right hand corner to watch our video of 15 things you didn't know about Karl Lagerfeld.
Number eleven: The Alma bag was originally created as a special order for Coco Chanel. Coco Chanel was the first French icon to directly influence a Louis Vuitton product. In 1925, Chanel special ordered a day-sized version of the Alma voyage trunk for daily use. She was the only one to own an Alma bag for a few years, but the bag was put into regular production in the 1930s and continues to be a popular item of the brand.
Number twelve: LV's signature monogram canvas was launched and patented in 1896. Louis Vuitton's son George wanted to prevent counterfeiting, so he created the iconic monogram design, along with their quatrefoils, flowers, and LV monogram and patented the designs worldwide in 1896.
Number thirteen: One of their customized trunks was auctioned off for 170 thousand dollars. In 2012, Michael Clarke, the Australian cricket team captain at the time, helped design the Louis Vuitton Michael Clarke luxury trunk. This one-of-a-kind luxury item was designed to hold cricket pads, gloves, hats, blazers, and shoes, along with a dozen drawers for smaller items. It also includes a Bose sound system. The trunk was auctioned off at the famous Christie's auction house for around 170,000 dollars, making it the most expensive LV item sold to date. All proceeds were donated to Sydney's children's hospital.
Number fourteen: Louis Vuitton collaborated with the Nazis in World War II. The Nazis reportedly found the French fashion industry very valuable, and Hitler even wanted to move French fashion houses to Berlin so that Paris would no longer be the fashion center of the world. When the Nazis occupied France in World War II, the Vuitton family collaborated with them. They were the only shop allowed to operate in the Hôtel du Parc, which was the base of operations for the puppet government backed by the Nazis. Already, without the family's eldest son, he was one of the first Frenchmen to be honored by the government for his loyalty and efforts for the regime. The Vuitton family and their business benefited financially from their business affairs with the Germans. Other designers who were known to embrace the Nazi regime include Coco Chanel, Christian Dior, and Hugo Boss.
Number fifteen: Louis Vuitton sued Warner Brothers about a scene in The Hangover Part 2. Now that you've learned more about Louis Vuitton, how long do you think they'll be able to remain the dominant luxury fashion brand? Let us know what you think in the comments.
Still here? Thanks for sticking around! Here's a bonus fact just for you: on the Forbes 2017 list of the most valuable brands in the world, Louis Vuitton comes in at number 20, behind brands such as Apple, Google, Coca-Cola, Nike, and Verizon, and it's the most valuable fashion brand on the list.
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