Last week I had the amazing opportunity to spend 2 unforgettable days with Louis Vuitton in Asnières. As you guys know, Louis Vuitton is my favorite brand ever. I could actually buy everything, from shoes to bags, over clothing and accessories to scents and jewellery. I constantly fall in love with their collections from season to season. The more you can imagine, how much I enjoyed the invitation and the trip to Asnières – the heart of Louis Vuitton.
The LV Trunk
Since 1854, Louis Vuitton has brought exclusive designs to the world. I love their unique pieces and the way they combine innovation with style. LV is constantly aiming for finest quality and craftsmanship. The House always remains faithful to the spirit of its founder Louis Vuitton. He was the one, who invented a certain und pure “Art of Travel“ through luggage, bags and accessories – creative and elegant yet always practical. Since then, adventurousness and determination have shaped the incredible story of Louis Vuitton. Co-operation bags with artists and newly imposed icons, Louis Vuitton knows how to stay present and contemporary. Virgil Abloh only recently brought back the steamer bag: a small piece of luggage, originally designed to be kept inside a luggage trunk for your laundry.
In 1858, the first LV trunk was introduced, featuring a grey Trianon canvas. Since then, hundreds of thousands of trunks have been handmade by Louis Vuitton. Each of them has its own history and story.
From the beginning, Louis Vuitton called himself a“Packer“ of fashions, knowing that a flat trunk would be way more practical than a common one at that time. A time where opulent dresses and wide skirts required practical bags or boxes and skilled hands to pack. Louis Vuitton provided both, always seeking new ideas and ways of making the traditional trunks lighter and stronger. He opted for waterproof materials and increasingly complex designs. The LV trunk was the first trunk to have a flat top and bottom, for easier stacking and transportation. Other trunks from these days featured round tops to simplify water run-off.
In 1896 an icon was born: the signature LV Monogram canvas. The most personal of signatures in luxury branding.
Asnières – center of production
In 1859, five years after founding his House, Louis Vuitton decided to open his workshop in Asnières, a small village a few miles away from Paris. The village lies on the banks of the Seine, allowing easy and quick delivery of raw materials. Asnières immediately turned into the heart of Louis Vuitton. Offering bright and airy ateliers to work creatively and effectively, constructing trunks, luggage and customized orders for customers around the world.
My trip with Louis Vuitton
I really enjoyed my trip with Louis Vuitton and the time I spend with all the other amazing people. We were a very small and intimate group. We already flew to Paris the day before the actual event. I had a very relaxed shopping and sightseeing day, my personal LV fitting and a really fun dinner.
The next day, we drove to Asnières to see and experience the iconic Louis Vuitton workshop. The minute you pass through the door of the Asnières workshops, you find yourself in a whole new world: A time travel to the heart of the House. A world of scents, sounds and incredible impressions. You are greeted with the tang of freshly-cut wood, the scent of noble skins of leather, you see and hear the hammering of a nail into a trunk and the whir of a sewing machine. It is such a lively space, filled with men and women of all ages. Each of them sharing a passion for craftsmanship and the creation of iconic pieces.
Youth meets experience, heritage and craftsmanship meet new technologies. Every LV item is checked precisely and finished by hand. Each process and method is detailed. The workers work in shifts from day to night to complete the trunk within one year. A precise and well-planned process. In the 19th century, it took Louis Vuitton 4 years to create a trunk. The Petit Mall handbag and the iconic Trunk are still handmade in Asnières. Crafting these masterpieces, requires hundreds of operations.
We spend the rest of the day in the Louis Vuitton garden in Asnières. A garden party with champagne and cognac tasting and a private live performance by incredible globetrotting song-writer, rapper and entrepreneur Kelvyn Colt.
Thank you Louis Vuitton for this amazing trip and an unforgettable time.
in collaboration w/ Louis Vuitton – ad
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