Vuitton, Louis (1821–1892)

French luggage designer, and retail brand bearing his name. The company started in the mid-19th century manufacturing trunks and diversified into a range of luggage and handbags. The brown and beige LV monogram pattern created by his son, Georges (1857–1936), in 1896, became a status symbol among consumers and celebrities and an enduring fashion icon, making Louis Vuitton one of the world's most counterfeited brands.

Vuitton was born in Anchay, in the Jura region of eastern France. He moved to Paris in 1837 and became an apprentice for trunk manufacturer Monsieur Marechal, a designer for the imperial court of Empress Eugénie, who later became Vuitton's own client. Vuitton opened his first shop in 1854 in Paris and became known for his flat-topped, lightweight, and air-tight trunks. Medals in two Paris-based World's Fairs (a bronze in 1867 and a gold in 1889) expanded his international reputation. In the early 20th century the Louis Vuitton company expanded its range of leather goods to include other types of luggage, as well as handbags, and opened shops around the world. The champagne and brandy manufacturers Moët et Chandon and Hennessy merged with Louis Vuitton in 1987 to form the French conglomerate LVMH, the world's largest seller of luxury goods. At the end of the 20th century, Louis Vuitton introduced its first ready-to-wear clothing line, and US fashion designer Marc Jacobs became its artistic director.