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Since its debut on a hard-side trunk, the Louis Vuitton logo is one of the most iconic logos in the fashion world. From its early history to contemporary times, Louis Vuitton has lead the way for other famous brands to build desire around icons. In fact, other luggage brands such as Gucci and Coach later incorporated the use of monogram logos into their designs in a similar fashion. Read on to learn more about the evolution of the Louis Vuitton logo and its impact on fashion.
Louis Vuitton was established in 1854 by a Parisian box-maker and packer, Louis Vuitton. Vuitton was also regarded as the first to cover flat trunks in waterproof canvas in the original checkerboard Damier pattern. Later, Vuitton’s son, Georges Vuitton created the interlocking LV monogram symbol in an attempt to brand his father’s profitable luggage business, making the quality products more easily identifiable. As Louis Vuitton quickly became one of the most renown brands, others tried to sell counterfeit merchandise. Thus, in 1896, Georges Vuitton combined the interlocking L and V with a stylized floral pattern that was designed to make it increasingly difficult to replicate.
Today, the Louis Vuitton “LV” monogram logo closely resembles its original design. As detailed by Logo Realm, the Louis Vuitton font is a hand-drawn, italicized serif font that is based off of Times New Roman. In the classic style, a Sans-serif font is used to display the Louis Vuitton name underneath the monogram in a line of text matching the width of the LV emblem. Remarkably, these intricacies are still used to identify counterfeits. However, Logo Realm states that the “Louis Vuitton” text under the monogram has been removed from logo since Marc Jacobs began modernizing the brand in the late 1990s while serving as the brand’s creative director.
As detailed by, High Snobiety, an online lifestyle blog, Louis Vuitton also paved the way for luxury brands to incorporate pop culture and street art into its designs. In 2003, Marc Jacobs and Japanese artist, Takashi Murakami began what would be a successful, thirteen-year collaboration. Murakami’s collection incorporated his signature design motifs in the iconic Cherry Blossom, Character, and Monocamouflage collections. Most notably, the multi-color monogram collection featured the trademark LV monogram in a vivid color palette, off-set on black and white canvas. In 2009, a short film, “Superflat First Love,” was produced to honor Murakami’s successful campaign with the luxury brand.
Since then, the brand has taken on additional collaborations with the likes of other influential fine artists who have added their unique touch to the original monogram print, as recounted by MSN. In 2009, The Monogram Graffiti Collection was re-introduced to commemorate artist, Stephen Sprouse. In addiotion, Jeff Koons also created his own version of the monogram in 2017. In a surprising twist, the Louis Vuitton Monogram was featured on the runway as part of the finale of designer, Kim Jones’ final collection for the Louis Vuitton Label as supermodels, Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell wore monogram trench coats.
As quoted in Vogue, “How you know the monogram isn’t what matters—it’s that you know it.” Not only did this fresh, new look elevate the Louis Vuitton label, but it changed the way brands earned their recognition. In addition, this strategy also influenced other brands to build desire around their famous logos. For instance, luxury brands such as Gucci and Supreme followed suit by adorning their merchandise with their famous names and monogram logos. In fact, this branding strategy has proven successful in making luxury goods recognizable, while adding an element of exclusivity.
The Louis Vuitton monogram continues to be one of the most recognized logos in the fashion industry. Although the logo remains true to its heritage, the evolution of the Louis Vuitton logo has influenced the way logos are used in design. Ultimately, Georges Vuitton’s monogram print inspired the use of logos as part of the design of the products. What is more, the use of logos gave luxury brands more exposure, while adding brand recognition. As brands look for ways to stand out, many look to the strategy of the Louis Vuitton company. It is mostly thanks to brand recognition that Louis Vuitton has become a household name.