Louis Vuitton (entrepreneur)
Louis Vuitton ([ lwi vɥitɔ ] * 4. August 1821 in Lons-le-Saunier , Region Franche-Comté , † 27. February 1892 in Asnieres ) was a French artisans and entrepreneurs who in 1854 Paris , the Louis Vuitton Malletier SA founded .
In the mid-19th century, the trained suitcase maker Vuitton recognized the changing needs of affluent society in terms of luggage and achieved a world-wide reputation with high-quality suitcases and exclusive luggage, that already happened in the middle of the 19th century when the company switched from traveling in a carriage to traveling by train or steamboat A few years after the company was founded, it was considered an international status symbol . The company founded by Vuitton is now a global luxury goods group with an international network of its own stores and has been part of LVMH Moët Hennessy • Louis Vuitton SA since 1987
Life
Louis Vuitton was born on August 4, 1821 in Lons-le-Saunier , Franche-Comté region . At the age of 14, he set off for Paris in 1835 against his father's wishes. From his hometown to Paris it was 441 kilometers that he covered on foot. To finance this trip, he carried out various small jobs in the cities of his trip. In 1837 he began a Bag makers - teaching at the luggage manufacturer Monsieur Marechal in Paris. Because of his talent, he became the exclusive suitcase packer (French: layetier ) of the Empress Eugénie de Montijo , at the court of Napoléon III.
In the middle of the 19th century, the main means of transport for the nobility and the wealthy bourgeoisie was still the carriage . Back then, the lids were still arched so that the suitcases, which were transported on the roof of the carriages, could run off when it rained. With the advent of railroad traffic, this changed. Suitcases now had to be stackable and therefore flat. With this knowledge, Vuitton opened his own shop, Louis Vuitton Malletier , in Paris in 1854 - after 17 years as an employee at Monsieur Maréchal - at the age of 33, at Rue Neuve-des-Capucines 4, today's Rue des Capucines, not far from Place Vendôme . There he sold, among other things, high-priced, flat suitcases that were very light and airtight for the times. The French word malletier , which Vuitton included in the company name, means something like suitcase manufacturer.
Louis Vuitton built a factory in the Paris suburb of Asnières in 1859, where 20 employees made modern suitcases made of coated, water-repellent and hard-wearing material. The frame of the suitcases and wardrobes consisted of a wood and metal construction. Vuitton used linen fabric impregnated with rye flour as the surface material for its luggage . This material, initially called Trianon in gray, proved to be dust and water resistant. The Trianon cover was later joined by a linen outer fabric in a longitudinally striped rayée pattern.
In 1867 Vuitton took part in the Exposition Universelle de Paris , the world exhibition in Paris. During this time he and his family moved from Paris to a villa in Asnières. This was converted into a museum in the mid-1990s.
In 1885, Vuitton opened its first store outside of France. The increasing popularity of the suitcase manufacturer led him to Oxford Street in London . In 1886, Vuitton and his son Georges Vuitton (1857–1936) developed a patented suitcase lock that was innovative for the time , the design of which is still in use today. In 1888, Vuitton introduced the checkered Damier pattern on its waterproof linen fabric, which can still be found in the collections today. Louis Vuitton died in Asnières in 1892. The LV monogram, which is now known worldwide and is printed on many of the company's products, was first invented by Vuitton's son Georges in 1896.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ The world of Louis Vuitton → Origin → The family seat ( Memento of the original from September 17, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , louisvuitton.com
- ↑ a b c "The story of Louis Vuitton" , manager-magazin.de , December 14, 2001
- ↑ Kult mit Koffern , Der Spiegel, November 8, 1982.
- ↑ The world of Louis Vuitton → Origin → Chronology ( Memento of the original from September 17, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , louisvuitton.com .
- ^ Vogue's Who's Who Louis Vuitton .
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Vuitton, Louis |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | French craftsman and entrepreneur who founded Louis Vuitton Malletier SA in Paris in 1854 |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 4th August 1821 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Lons-le-Saunier , Franche-Comté region |
| DATE OF DEATH | February 27, 1892 |
| Place of death | Asnières |