Louis Vuitton, commonly referred to as LV, is regarded one of the greatest fashion icons in the world. Spanning an age of over 160 years, the 1854-founded French fashion house has become a worldwide brand garnering itself a myriad of titles and successes noticeable to everyone. With a valuation of over 30 Billion, Louis Vuitton has become associated with luxury and pride and all of its products are some of the best in the market. From leather products and trunks, to jewelry, shoes, accessories, books and even sunglasses, LV has penetrated the markets of over 50 countries.
The history of Louis Vuitton paints a picture of a brand that managed to outlive its founders and grow exponentially as time went by. The fashion house was founded by Louis Vuitton in 1854 as an attempt to outdo HJ Ositile trunks to be more accommodative and spacious. This attempt was so successful that several other luggage makers forthwith made their trunks with Vuitton’s design. Vuitton is famed for extending his works to London as his first international base in 1885. Vuitton founded an established brand that was passed on to his son George Vuitton in 1892 upon Louis demise. It is George’s attempts that, however, put Louis Vuitton on a global brand. It his during his tenure as leader of the fashion house that Louis Vuitton participated in New York, Buenos Aires, Washington, Alexandria, London, Bombay, Philadelphia and Chicago. The most notable store opening of that time was the 1913 Champ-Elysees Louis Vuitton Building that was the biggest in the world at that particular time.
So luxurious is this brand that according to Millard Brown it was the most luxurious brand in the world for six consecutive years between 2006 and 2012. This has had a lot of positive effects for the company but has, unfortunately, also attracted a lot of counterfeiting. In 2004, it is estimated that almost 18% of all counterfeit good seized in Europe were LV fakes. This has led the company to put in place many anti-counterfeiting measures including worldwide agencies and undercover investigators to ensure minimal fakes arise in the market. This has been a successful attempt by the fashion house as there has been a minimal leaking of fakes into the worldwide market. The stores that retail the products are thus certified stores vetted and approved by the fashion house. This has, in turn, created public acknowledgement of the existence and curbing of fakes in the international market. The fakes proved to be a costly affair for the brand as it incurred losses and luck of trustful measures from certain clients.
The most outstanding trait of LV products is its handmade craftsmanship. Almost all of Louis Vuitton’s products are crafted and designed by professionals. There is therefore minimal inculcation of machinery in the line of production. This introduces uniqueness and a personal touch to the products from this fashion house. Since the 19th Century, Louis Vuitton has consistently used the brown Damier and monogram canvas materials with the iconic LV initials in all its products. The products have a consistent channel of distribution and particular stores that the products are sold in. this minimizes the effects of counterfeiting. So luxurious are some of the products that they are pre-ordered before dispatch to specific stores for specific buyers. Some of the most luxurious products that are preordered are the Neverfull bags and Speedy bags.
It is imperative that for such a company, advertising is very key. Louis Vuitton has used many actors, musicians and even models in its ad campaigns. This has greatly increased its market grip in the worldwide market. From Wiz Khalifa to Kanye West, whose music has the brand being mentioned severally, to Madonna, Michelle Williams and several other actors such as Hayden Christensen, Sean Connery and Angelina Jolie, LV has greatly invested in celebrity endorsements that have in no doubt paid off. Print, audio and audio-visual media are also an advertising forefront for the fashion house.
It is no doubt that LV is one of the greatest fashion statements anyone can ever make. From the luxury brand associated with it, to good designs with a personal feel and a long-lasting material used to make it, Louis Vuitton products stand out in their entirety. It is no doubt one product that everyone should own in their lifetimes.