On this day the founder of the world’s most famous luggage factory, Louis Vuitton, died. Born in the French countryside, he moved to Paris in search of work. He was employed as an apprentice to a luggage maker. He learned the craft of making suitcases so well that he became renowned in Paris. The French emperor Napoleon III heard of him and appointed him a court trunk-maker for his wife, Empress Eugénie.
His job at the imperial court raised the reputation of Louis Vuitton, and he began to produce trunks for the market. Until then, the suitcases had a rounded top, so the water would flow off them when riding on a carriage. Vuitton introduced a novelty in the form of trunks with straight sides, which had the advantage of being able to stack them one on top of the other in order to save space.
His suitcases were of top quality and airtight. Soon, other manufacturers began to copy his design. To protect himself, Louis Vuitton introduced a distinctive pattern in brown and beige color, which remained his trademark till this day.
