Guide to Louis Vuitton Purses

The Louis Vuitton legacy stretches back to 1854, when the young trunk designer opened a store in Paris.  The eponymous Louis Vuitton impressed France's royalty with his flat trunk design, but his line did not gain international cache until long after his death.  Louis's son, Georges, and grandson, Gaston Louis, helped cultivate the line and turn it into an international sensation.  From the first store on the Rue Neuve des Capucines to the company's centennial Monogram Canvas release, Louis Vuitton has pushed the envelope of fashion and inspired countless imitators and admirers.

You can always distinguish a Louis Vuitton handbag or purse by the prominent LV Monogram.  Indeed, this designer label has been in place since 1896.  Collectors attempting to authenticate potential Louis Vuitton wear should look carefully at purse labels.

Louis Vuitton has created several specialty bags, such as the NOE purse designed exclusively to transport champagne bottles and the elephant and crocodile skin bags produced during the 1930s.  In the early 1980s, Louis Vuitton paired up with the Americas Cup Yacht Race to heighten international brand awareness.  Just four years later, the brand merged with the Moet Hennessy Group to form a powerhouse luxury brand conglomerate.

Although Vuitton first started selling handbags in 1892, collectors also value the canvas bags and luggage manufactured by the company prior to that time.  The so-called Vuitton Keepall (first released in 1924) also attracts collectors.  This lightweight bag served as a precursor to many modern high art Vuitton purses, handbags, and wallets.