Louis Vuitton Leather Suitcase

A superb 'Vache Naturelle' case by Louis Vuitton. With original cotton lined interior (missing tray); Circa 1935.

Dimensions: 67 cm/26⅜ inches x 42.5 cm/16¾ inches x 22 cm/8⅝ inches.

About Louis Vuitton

From humble beginnings, Louis Vuitton laid the foundations for a luggage enterprise serving the upper echelons of 19th-century society. His son, Georges, expanded on his father’s work throughout the 20th century.

Louis Vuitton was born on 4 August 1821 in Anchay, a rural village in Eastern France. His father, Xavier Vuitton, was a farmer, his mother, Coronne Gaillard, a milliner. In 1835, aged 13, Vuitton left Anchay on foot for his two-year journey to Paris. He found work as a layetier – a maker of wooden boxes and cases for transporting travelers’ possessions – and was selected as the personal layetier to Empress Eugénie de Montijo, a Spanish Countess and wife of Napoleon III.

In 1854, at 4 Rue Neuve de Capucines, Paris, Vuitton launched his enterprise, gaining recognition among Parisian nobility. A second Parisian store opened at 1, Rue Scribe, after the 1871 Siege of Paris. Striped “Rayée” canvas and the first Vuitton Wardrobe Trunk arrived in the 1870s, expanding abroad to 289 Oxford Street, London, and introducing the Damier canvas in the 1880s.

Louis Vuitton passed away in 1892, leaving the business to his son, Georges. He set about expanding the family firm even further, selling out at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. J.P. Morgan and family became valued clients, and Georges patented the iconic LV monogram design in 1896, paying homage to a medieval Franc box rosette motif from his personal collection.

The early 1900s saw the Steamer Bag launch and new premises on the Champs Élysées. Georges was never one to shy away from a bespoke order; customers could, and regularly did, request whatever their heart desired. Legendary commissions included a “Malle Lit” explorer’s camp bed trunk for Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza, luggage for La Crociera Nera, an expedition by Citroën from Paris to Timbuktu, and a special trunk for opera singer Lily Pons carrying 36 pairs of shoes – six more than usual, as her feet were small.

The Maison's creative direction also influenced entire design movements. Georges’ son, Gaston-Louis, ushered in the Art Deco era at the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes, Paris.

The 1930s introduced the Keepall, and a visit from British King George VI and Queen Elizabeth inspired a gift to young Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret: smooth cowhide suitcases lined in pink moiré silk, crafted to house dolls. The first flexible monogram canvas luggage was rubberised canvas in 1958.

Louis Vuitton merged with Moët Hennessy in 1987, creating LVMH, the world’s first true luxury goods group. To this day, the Maison consistently ranks as the world’s number one luxury goods brand.

To read our full history of Louis Vuitton, visit The Study or click here.