Louis Vuitton (August 4, 1821 – February 27, 1892),[3] eponymous founder of the company, was born in the department of Jura,France. In 1835, he moved to Paris. The trip from his hometown to Paris was over 400 kilometers (249 mi), and he traveled the distance by foot. On his way there, he picked up a series of odd jobs to pay for his journey. There, he became an apprentice
Layetier to prominent households.[4]Because of his well established reputation in his fields, Napoleon III of France appointed Vuitton as Layetier to his wife, Empress Eugénie de Montijo. Through his experience with French royalty, he developed advanced knowledge of what made a good traveling case. It was then that he began to design his own luggage, setting the foundations for LV Co.
http://www.choosm.com
1945 through 2000
During this period,
Louis Vuitton incorporated its leather into most of its products, ranging from small
purses and
walletsto larger pieces of luggage. In order to broaden its line, the company revamped its signature Monogram Canvas in 1959[3] to make it more supple, allowing it to be used for purses,
bags, and wallets. It is believed that in the 1960s, counterfeiting returned as a greater issue to continue on into the 21st century.
[4] In 1966, the
Papillon was launched (a cylindrical bag that is still popular today). By 1977 with annual revenue up to 70 million
Francs ($14.27 million
USD).
[5] A year later, the label opened its first stores in
Japan: in
Tokyo and
Osaka). In 1983, the company joined with America's Cup to form the
Louis Vuitton Cup, a preliminary competition (known as an eliminatory regatta) for the yacht race.
Louis Vuitton later expanded its presence in
Asia with the opening of a store in
Taipei,
Taiwan in 1983 and
Seoul,
South Korea in 1984. In the following year, 1985, the Epi leather line was introduced