Louis Vuitton
Born: 4th August 1821, in Anchury, Jura, France

 

Louis Vuitton Malletier was born in 1821 in Cons-le-Sannier, France. He was the son of a carpenter. In 1835, he walked the 250 miles to Paris and apprenticed himself to master trunk-maker Monsieur Marechal who was making trunks for the court of Empress Eugenie.

Louis recognized a need for flat trunks which could go in the cargo hold of ocean-going ships or on luggage racks of trains, without getting damaged. So he took his first two names, and formed a company in 1854 to make high quality luggage. Right from the beginning, Louis insisted on extraordinary quality and craftsmanship, catering to the rich people who appreciated the beauty of his products. He found himself luggage maker to kings, tsars and noble people almost immediately.

Born: Louis Vuitton was born 4th August 1821, in Anchury, Jura, France

First break: He was commissioned to make trunks for Grand Duke Nicholas, the future czar of Russia, and King Alphonse XII of Spain in 1877.

Company founded: 1854

Based in: Paris

Men’s lines: Louis Vuitton (1998)

Selected awards:Gold Medal at the 1889 World's Fair in Paris

Worn by: Sean Combs, Kanye West, Tate Donovan, Damon Dash, Pharrell Williams