Questions about the trunk-maker that became the world’s biggest luxury brand, from Marc Jacobs to Nicolas Ghesquière, answered from Ayerhs’s Louis Vuitton reviews.
By Shreya S · Last reviewed 31 October 2026
On this page: The house and its founder · The designers · The collections · The Ayerhs view
The house and its founder
Who was Louis Vuitton?
A French trunk-maker who opened his Paris workshop in 1854. His flat-topped, stackable canvas trunks suited the new age of rail and steamship travel. His son Georges created the Monogram canvas in 1896, with the LV initials and flower motifs, partly to stop counterfeiters.
Who owns Louis Vuitton?
LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the group formed in 1987 and led by Bernard Arnault. Louis Vuitton is its largest brand.
The designers
When did Louis Vuitton start making clothes?
In 1997, when Marc Jacobs was hired to create the house’s first ready-to-wear. Over sixteen years he turned the luggage company into a fashion house, with artist collaborations such as Stephen Sprouse’s graffiti and Takashi Murakami’s multicoloured Monogram.
Read on Ayerhs: Fashion is Wealth: Spring 2008 · Checks on checks: Spring 2013 · Marc Jacobs in the Library
Who designs Louis Vuitton now?
Nicolas Ghesquière, formerly of Balenciaga, has led womenswear since 2013. Menswear has been led by Pharrell Williams since 2023, following Virgil Abloh (2018–2021) and Kim Jones (2011–2018).
| Designer | Role | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Marc Jacobs | Creative director | 1997–2013 |
| Nicolas Ghesquière | Womenswear | 2013– |
| Kim Jones | Menswear | 2011–2018 |
| Virgil Abloh | Menswear | 2018–2021 |
| Pharrell Williams | Menswear | 2023– |
The collections
What has Ghesquière’s Louis Vuitton looked like recently?
Travel, time and a taste for the odd. Fall 2025 played with past, present and future; Spring 2026 turned inward with a softer vision; Fall 2026 perfected what Ayerhs called fantastical ugly chic.
Read on Ayerhs: Spring 2025 · Fall 2025 · Spring 2026 · Fall 2026
What are Louis Vuitton’s signature pieces?
- The Monogram canvas (1896) and the Damier check (1888)
- The Speedy and Keepall bags
- Hard-sided trunks, still made in the Asnières workshop outside Paris
Read on Ayerhs: Bag Trends 2027
The Ayerhs view
Is Louis Vuitton fashion or just bags?
Both. The bags pay the bills, but Ghesquière has spent over a decade making the runway one of the most intellectually ambitious in Paris, mixing eras, sci-fi and strange proportions in a way few houses this size would dare.