
The first in depth portrait of one of the world&s best known luxury brands this elegant volume traces the remarkable history of the House of Vuitton which has been making practical but stylish luggage handbags & accessories for more than 150 years Written with full access to the company&s archives the book itself demonstrates Louis Vuitton&s passion for fine design with a stunning array of archival art historical images product designs & sketches & cutting edge advertising The book explores the company&s tradition of quality & innovation in the context of sweeping changes in society art culture fashion & above all travel Examining the life & times of the company&s first three leaders; founder Louis (who invented the modern trunk) his son Georges & his grandson Gaston the text focuses on the firm&s development under their guidance It also discusses Vuitton&s explosive growth toward the end of the 20th century including the 1987 merger with Moet Hennessy that made it part of LVMH the world&s largest luxury goods company & spurred the expansion of its boutiques to more than 300 locations in 50 countries around the globe When this book was published in 2004 it was the first to describe & explain with numerous previously unseen documents & accounts the fascinating & irrepressible rise of the world&s finest luxury company which was celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2004 This new edition will include a complete update of the final section of the book which discusses the company&s recent history with new texts photos & interviews