1854–1859
The trunk workshop
Vuitton opened his Paris business in 1854. Changes in trunk construction and the establishment of the Asnières workshop helped the house serve a changing world of travel.
The House & Its Designers
Louis Vuitton
Paris · 1854
A trunk-maker’s solutions became a language of modern travel.
Louis Vuitton established his business around the practical needs of travellers. Canvas, locks, handles and reinforced corners later moved from trunks into handbags, giving the house a visual vocabulary rooted in construction.
6 photographs · Reviewed August 2026
Explore the history ↓
01 / The house
The story behind the name.
1888–1896
Canvas becomes identity
Damier canvas was followed by Georges Vuitton’s Monogram design in 1896. The pattern combined his father’s initials with floral and geometric motifs.
1930s onward
Luggage becomes a daily bag
The Keepall, Speedy and Noé adapted travel-related needs into forms that would become lasting parts of the collection. Later bags continued to revisit those proportions.
1997–2013
Marc Jacobs expands the house
Jacobs introduced ready-to-wear and collaborations that changed how the Monogram could be used. The house became a broader fashion world while keeping luggage central to its identity.
2013 onward
Parallel creative directions
Nicolas Ghesquière took charge of women’s collections in 2013. The men’s line developed through Kim Jones and Virgil Abloh; Pharrell Williams was appointed in 2023.
The house in pictures
People, places and objects, with source credits.
02 / The designers
The people who shaped the house.
Selected creative chapters; dates distinguish appointments from runway debuts.
Founding generations
Louis and Georges Vuitton
Established the workshop, technical inventions and canvas signatures.
1997–2013
Marc Jacobs
Expanded the house into ready-to-wear and major artist collaborations.
Appointed 2013 · women’s collections
Nicolas Ghesquière
Pairs historical references with futuristic forms and construction.
2011–2018 · men’s collections
Kim Jones
Connected travel references with contemporary menswear.
2018–2021 · men’s collections
Virgil Abloh
Reframed luxury through cultural dialogue and familiar objects.
Appointed 2023 · men’s collections
Pharrell Williams
Brings music, design and collaborative practice to the house.
03 / The bags
A vocabulary in leather and form.
A selection of the house’s designs. Resale photographs illustrate individual examples; size, finish and condition vary.
- Speedy
- A compact, zip-top holdall with rounded handles and a travel-bag silhouette.
- Neverfull
- A roomy open tote with slim handles and adjustable side ties.
- Alma
- A domed top-handle bag with a structured base and double zip.
- Capucines
- A structured leather bag named for the street of Vuitton’s first Paris shop.
- Twist
- A flap shoulder bag with a rotating LV clasp.
- Petite Malle
- A small rigid bag that translates trunk corners, clasps and proportions into eveningwear.
- Pochette Métis
- A compact satchel with a top handle, flap and S-lock closure.
- OnTheGo
- A rectangular tote with short handles and longer shoulder straps.
- Noé
- A drawstring bucket bag whose origins lie in carrying champagne bottles.
- Keepall
- A soft, zip-top travel duffel with reinforced leather handles.
- Multi Pochette Accessoires
- Linked zipped pouches and a small round purse create a modular shoulder bag.
- Pochette Accessoires
- A compact zip-top pouch with a short detachable strap.
- Lockit
- A leather handbag family named for its lock detail.
- Bumbag / Discovery
- Belt-bag formats that adapt the house’s travel materials for hands-free carry.
- Soft Trunk
- A supple interpretation of trunk construction from the Virgil Abloh chapter.
- Coussin
- Padded, embossed leather and substantial hardware give this bag its pillow-like body.
- GO-14
- Quilted malletage leather and an LV turn-lock connect this bag to the house’s trunk interiors.
- Diane
- A retro-inspired flap shoulder bag with a rounded profile and buckle detail.
- Steamer Bag
- A travel-inspired leather bag with a folded opening and buckled strap.
- Papillon
- A cylindrical zip-top bag with two narrow leather handles.
- Pallas
- A structured day bag combining coated canvas and contrasting leather panels.
- Saumur
- A saddle-inspired crossbody organised around two compartments.
- Trevi
- A pleated zip-top tote with rounded handles and leather trim.
- Cluny BB / MM
- A structured top-handle bag with a broad flap and shoulder strap.
- Loop Bag
- A compact half-moon shoulder bag with a curved zip opening.