Chapter 1. History and Mission Statement

Louis Vuitton Malletier famously known as Louis Vuitton or LV is one of the world's leading fashion houses of today's fashion industry. For six years consecutively (2006 to 2012) Louis Vuitton was named world's most valuable luxury brand. This brand is about 150 years old and was founded by a French box-maker Louis Vuitton in Paris, France in 1854. When Louis was only sixteen years old, he was determined to change his life and wanted to become a trunk maker. Vuitton introduced his flat-bottom trunks with Trianon canvas, making them airtight and light weight. Before Louis's trunks were introduced trunks with round bottoms were used.  In 1867 the company participated in a universal exhibition held in Paris. To protect his designs from being copied he changed Trianon design to a beige and brown strips in 1876. The company opened their first store by 1885 in London on oxford street. Due to replication of his look in 1888, Vuitton Created Damier Canvas pattern which bore a logo that said " marque L. Vuitton déposée ". After the death of Louis Vuitton in 1892 his son George Vuitton took the hold of the company and started the campaigns  to build this company in a world corporation.
In 1913 they opened Louis Vuitton building which was the largest travel good store at that time. After that, they opened various stores in New York, Washington, Bombay, London etc. After the death of George Vuitton in 1936 his son Gaston-Louis Vuitton took the company in his hands. In 1987 Louis Vuitton company Merged with Möet-Hennessy, the leading manufacturers of champagne and cognac, to form the world largest luxury goods conglomerate LVMH. Which gave them profit and 130 new stores were opened around the world. LVMH is a brand that consists of 60 different luxury good brands like  Dom Pérignon, Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, Hennessy, Krug and Glenmorangie Whiskey, while the perfumes and cosmetics division distributes brands such as Christian Dior, Guerlain, Bliss, Fresh, and Benefit. Fashion and leather goods include Louis Vuitton,Givenchy, Donna Karan,Fendi , Kenzo, Marc Jacobs, Ce'line. Watches and jewelry: TAG Heuer, Zenith, Ebel, Chaumet, and Bulgari. LVMH also owns selective retailers including Sephora cosmetics stores, Le Bon Marché   Paris department stores.In 1997 Louis Vuitton named Marc Jacobs their artistic director. The following year he introduced a new clothing line for men and women " prêt-à-porter". 
Louis Vuitton mission statement is to"embody unique savior-faire, a carefully preserved heritage and dynamic engagement with modernity and to represent the most refined qualities of Western “Art de Vivre” (The Art of Living) around the world; to be synonymous with both elegance and creativity; to blend tradition and innovation, and kindle dream and fantasy",to be creative and aim for excellence.