At the occasion of the “Louis Vuitton / Marc Jacobs” exhibition held by the Musée Les Arts Décoratifs in Paris from March 9th to September 16th 2012, Men’s Passion presents the story of two personalities: Louis Vuitton, founder of the house in 1854, and Marc Jacobs, its Artistic Director since 1997.
Louis Vuitton / Marc Jacobs: Two Personalities, Two Exceptional Paths
Louis Vuitton, Both An Artisan And An Entrepreneur
Born in 1821 in Anchay, a small hamlet in the Jura region, Louis Vuitton left his village at the age of 13 and headed to Paris, without a penny in his pocket. He worked as an apprentice for Romain Maréchal, a famous box-maker and packer in the French capital. In 1854, Louis founded his own packing company and opened his first store near the Opera House. His trunks and baggage rapidly developed a loyal following amongst European high society. Both an artisan and entrepreneur Louis introduced into the realm of packing fashions a balance between functionality and aesthetics. Visionary creators, Louis and his descendants turned the art of traveling into a real art of living, transforming their small family business into a major brand.
Marc Jacobs: Introducing The Brand Into A Decisive Shift
In 1997, Marc Jacobs was appointed Artistic director of the Louis Vuitton Maison and launched his first ready-to-wear collections. By instilling fashion for the first time in Louis Vuitton’s history, ready-to-wear collections for men and women, as well as line of fashion accessories that included shoes and bags, he introduced a decisive shift. Staying true to the roots of the Vuitton House and multiplying references to his own artistic heritage, he reinterpreted the brand’s codes, adding a contemporary dimension and permanently established Louis Vuitton as a fashion icon.
Books Content
This work shows how, with over a century between them, both Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs were able to fully discern their specific era and take advantage of all the possibilities offered.
The first part, devoted to Louis Vuitton, explains how, under the Second Empire, he was able to develop his packing company in a rapidly growing district. The industrial revolution brought about new technical possibilities, while giving rise to affluent customers: an increasingly high number of aristocrats, bourgeois and rich tourists were beginning to travel more frequently, yet the expanding number of garments required made transportation more difficult.
The second part explains how, since 1997, in a world of fashion that has expanded on an international level, Marc Jacobs has adopted the Louis Vuitton cultural codes and added his own personal touch. And so, quite naturally Marc Jacobs, who perfectly embodies today’s contemporary creator, called upon artists like Stephen Sprouse, Takashi Murakami and Richard Prince – associations between art and fashion that have become textbook examples for the industry.
This book is illustrated with old photographs, archives from the Louis Vuitton House, 19th century garments from the Arts Décoratifs collection, as well as fashion photographs, advertising campaigns and photos of past and present Louis Vuitton fashion shows.
Louis Vuitton in a few words
Founded in Paris in 1854, Louis Vuitton is synonymous with the art of travel. Its iconic trunks, luggage, and bags have accompanied journeys throughout time. With the arrival of Artistic Director Marc Jacobs in 1997, Louis Vuitton extended its expertise to ready-to-wear, shoes, accessories, watches and jewellery, available in its exclusive network of stores located all over the world.
Louis Vuitton Publisher
With the development of its own publications, Louis Vuitton is cutting a pioneering figure in the luxury industry. On the strength of a catalogue of some fifty titles, les Éditions Louis Vuitton is concentrating on three collections with a clear focus on travel.
Books have always enjoyed a privileged position in Louis Vuitton’s history. Gaston Vuitton (1883-1970), the founder’s grandson, was himself a passionate bibliophile and an enlightened publisher of limited edition fine books. Among the House’s loyal customers, numerous writers such as Ernest Hemingway or Françoise Sagan have ordered library trunks or typewriter cases. Since it opened in 1914, the Champs-Élysées store has offered its customers a comfortable reading and writing room. This tradition is perpetuated today in the Houses of Paris, Taipei, Hong Kong, London, Singapore and Rome.
Limited Edition
On sale exclusively available in Louis Vuitton stores and on louisvuitton.com
This edition with mirror paper and silk-screening hardcover features the portraits of Marc and Louis designed by Martin Morck based on a photograph by Rankin (2011) and a drawing by H. Rozier (1892) and is protected by a laser cut slipcase.
Publication date: March 2012
English and French version
Format: 24 x 30 cm
324 pages / 300 illustrations
$ 100 / 80 €
Bookstores Edition
Publication date: March 2012
English version published by Rizzoli NY and French version co-published by Les Arts Décoratifs and Rizzoli NY
Format: 24 x 30 cm
324 pages / 300 illustrations
$ 75 / 55 €
On sale in bookstores
First Published in Men's Passion Issue #40 May 2012
