Louis Vuitton Celebrates 100 Legendary Trunks

From trains and legendary ocean liners, to automobiles and the first aircraft, the Louis Vuitton trunk has crossed time and borders. In 1854, Louis Vuitton, “layetier, trunk-maker, and packer,” offered a modern trunk that combined pragmatism and elegance, perfectly adapted to the current means of transport and changes in the lives his clients led. The House of Vuitton has served explorers and adventurers, princes, dandies, elegant ladies, and artists of all kinds. The Maharaja of Baroda, Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza, Douglas Fairbanks, Ernest Hemingway, Jeanne Lanvin -even Damien Hirst and Sharon Stone have traveled with Vuitton.

The House of Vuitton is now releasing LOUIS VUITTON: 100 LEGENDARY TRUNKS, and it’s officially on my Christmas wish list.

This book, with a preface by Patrick-Louis Vuitton, show-cases the most beautiful creations of the House through more than eight hundred photographs. The trunk-bed, steamer trunk, tea case, toiletry kit, circus trunk, library trunk, and caviar box are just a few of the many incredible pieces featured here, along with the equally incredible stories of their creation. A full technical survey, the bible of the artisanal trunkmaker, reveals the secrets of making a Louis Vuitton trunk. The exclusive edition for Louis Vuitton stores features a silkscreened cover and hard slipcase printed with Monogram canvas, reinterpreted from the 1896 original pattern.

From the first domed trunks to the most modern designs produced in the workshops of Asnières today, the spirit of the House of Louis Vuitton is still driven by the same reputation for excellence and expertise – and a desire to elevate travel to an art.

And, now the reason why Louis fanatics need to book a trip to France: from October 13, 2010 to February 27, 2011, the Parisian luxury house is staging an exhibition at the Carnavalet museum: Voyage En Capitale: Louis Vuitton and Paris.

Just in time for Jacko, 80’s fashion is back

It’s almost as if someone wrote a grandiose fairytale last year.  Today Michael Jackson, The King of Pop, officially announced that he will be doing his “final curtain call” with a minimum of a 10-show Las Vegas-style “residency” in London.  His timing couldn’t be orchestrated any better, for the 80’s, according to the fashion world, are back.  Fall 2009 fashions are full of 1980’s fashion including “Dynasty”-esque dresses, exaggerated shoulders, and torn-up jeans.

Like Return of the Jedi, the exaggerated shoulders come back fighting in full force. A myriad of designers, like Marc Jacobs, Dolce & Gabbana, Alexander Wang and Diane von Furstenberg featured the added baggage during their Fall 2009 runway shows.

The look originally came from what was known as the “Power Suit”.  The phrase, first coined in the 1980s, refers to the exaggerated shoulder pads and skirt suits worn by American businesswomen to make them more “visible” in the workplace.  But such “wardrobe engineering” is centuries old and has been recycled yet again.

Not withstanding the boisterous applause from fashion critics and celebrities, proof that the throwback looks are bankable does not exist.  However, the trend does makes us nostalgic about  a similar recessionary period that began in 1981.

Undoubtedly, the styles that surfaced this past month are strickingly comparable to those sewn during a time where several key industries were also suffering—including housing, steel manufacturing and automobile production. The icing on the cake is the release date of Michael Jackson’s  “Thriller”.  The album was scooped up by millions of fans starting on November 30, 1982, right as the recession was ending.

Could the King of Pop returning to the spotlight be a sign the current recession might end? We won’t know until the completion of his tour, but as it stands his stars are aligned for 2009.   Just like a prayer, let us hope Madonna makes an appearance at his show in London, exaggerated shoulder jacket in tow and all.