By The last visit will be this weekend, during one month the doors of Louis Vuitton Museum in Asnières, were open on Saturdays and Sundays, after reservation, to let us discover the world of the trunk maker.
It’s there that in 1859 the workshop settle down with its twenty employees, (in 1914 they will be two hundred and twenty five) located at the edge of the Seine what makes it possible to profit from the fluvial transport. The family home will be adjacent to the workshop.
For an hour, accompanied by a guide, we went through the exihibition gathering the key elements that led the young boy, from modest condition, to become the regular trunk supplier for the fortunes of this world. From his beginnings as a “layetier”-packer, a trade that consisted of packing the many belongings of wealthy customers who went on a trip. His ability to understand the value of creating suitable and quality luggage, while taking into account the advances of his time. He was the first to make flat trunks, more pratical than the traditional ones with curved lids. From his desire to create, to sublimate the luggage, from his audacity, from this expertise was born in 1854 the house Vuitton.
The trunk is the object of the beginning, the journey, the dreams it carries ; Louis Vuitton or the art of travel.
Against the counterfeit Louis decided in 1888, with his new covering a beige and Brown checkerboard to put the inscription “Louis Vuitton brand trademark” (the model is on the photo below on the far right, behind the checkerboard trunk, which will be created afterwards). The monogram created in 1896 by Georges, the founder’s son, to pay tribute to him ; this L which intertwines the V is a revolution, it is the first time that a Creator places so much his mark in view and also associated with the initials of the greats of this world. It became the emblem of the Vuitton house.
The outside of the trunk is the subject of all the attention, but the inside is far from being forgotten. There are padded lining with crosspieces, drawers that close with canvas straps, compartments for everyday accessories, hairbrushes, tortoiseshells, perfume bottles ; trunks for cars with the trunk for the spare wheel, accompanied by gloves, glasses of everything necessary for driving at that time, a trunk headrest. And these fabulous wardrobes, in exotic skins that answer all the requirements, drawers for shoes, a rack to hang clothes, with its hangers, obviously… they adapt to all the requests, an expertise of exception.
We discover ready to wear collections with silhouettes adorned with feathers embroidered lace, checkered canvas, because that is also Louis Vuitton, today it is no more simply the art of traveling, it is a whole universe : handbag, ready to wear collection, small leather goods, shoes, watches and jewellery, travel, books and Nomadic Objects Collection, which since 2012 pay tribute to all the special orders that have marked the history of the beautiful house. Nowadays the workshops in Asnières are still in operation, they process leather goods and special orders from customers all over the world. The family home has been preserved in its original condition and can be visited during these exceptionnal openings.
I hope you enjoyed this article from the visit to the Louis Vuitton Museum. Don’t hesitate to check their website to keep you informed of upcoming visits, if you would also like to take advantage of their open house.
Address :
Museum Louis Vuitton : 18 rue Louis Vuitton, 92600 Asnières sur Seine (France)
Official website : fr.louisvuitton.com
Réservations : ticketing-la-galerie.louisvuitton.com (17/03 til 15/04 2018)
Prices : free.
