How Did LV Become A World-renowned Luxury Brand?

As one of the world-renowned luxury brands, Louis Vuitton's success did not come overnight.

In the early 19th century, Louis Vuitton was born in France into a hat-making and farm-running family.

At that time, many French farmers were on the verge of bankruptcy because of the Napoleonic Wars, so Louis Vuitton also needed to start working on the family farm early to supplement the family. When he was older, his mother died and his father remarried. His stepmother treated him very badly, so he ran away from home and went to Paris to make a living.

He went to Paris with nothing, fortunately he and a few artisans and craftsmen learned how to make objects from basic materials, which is a craft. Although he is working and studying hard, he has no money to find a place to live, so Louis Vuitton lives on the streets and is homeless.

However, technology has advanced a lot in that era, and with the development of railways, travel is no longer a difficult task, and people, especially nobles, need boxes that can protect their valuables from damage during long journeys. Louis Vuitton thus found a business opportunity. After becoming an apprentice, he made boxes for the then French Queen because of his good craftsmanship, and then he opened his first shop.

At the time, the cases were all made of genuine leather, which had poor water resistance. Louis Vuitton wanted to improve the material, so it found canvas. Canvas is lighter than genuine leather, has better durability and, most importantly, is waterproof. Thus, Louis Vuitton ushered in the brand's first leap and became a must-have for many. At the same time, he also developed the women's handbag market, and the novel design adds a lot of fun to the matching of women.

But with the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War, they were forced to leave their shops and homes, and the family business came to a standstill. When the war ended, they returned home in desperation to find that their materials had been stolen and the workshop had been destroyed. They quickly used their savings to buy a store, and after a few months of rectification, their business was booming again, with orders coming in from all over the world. With the advancement of craftsmanship, Louis Vuitton added a unique pattern to the luggage, which was very popular with customers. Soon after, he opened a shop in London, England. Many of his clients are European dignitaries.

After the death of Louis Vuitton, Georges Vuitton made the business to the United States. It was at this time that Georges Vuitton designed a new monogram to commemorate his father. This pattern is a floral pattern with an interlocking L and V that we commonly see today. As the son of Louis Vuitton, Georges inherited his father's ability to innovate and created many classic designs, including Keepall and Alma.

After the death of Georges Vuitton, his three sons were in charge of running the family brand, but they had differences of opinion, so they hoped that their brother-in-law, Henry Racamier, would take over. Henry Racamier was very savvy in business, changed LV's business direction from wholesale to retail, and developed the Asian market. Within six years, LV's sales had doubled tenfold to more than $260 million.