In 1896, imitations were already a problem. This was confirmed by Georges Vuitton, son of Louis Vuitton. The founder of the French company had created a solid brand starting from very little: he came from a family of millers in the Jura department, in eastern France, and at just 16 years old, in 1837, he began working in Paris, as an apprentice in the workshop of master trunk maker Romain Maréchal. He stood out in the profession, his suitcases and travel bags were increasingly in demand and 17 years later he opened his first store, near the emblematic Place Vendôme. His clients ranged from distinguished passengers on the Orient Express to Empress Eugenia de Montijo. Georges – the only boy of the three children he had with his wife, Clémence-Emilie Parriaux – works with his father and sees that success has a problem: others copy his products, counterfeits proliferate. This is why he designed the Monogram, a design to identify his pieces as authentic which became a symbol of the house and became the seed of logomania in the fashion world.
“Iconography plays a crucial role when it comes to mapping the identity of a brand. And in this sense, logos are a symbology that transcends any language barrier and is immediately understood by millions of people around the world,” he explains in his work. podcast April Calahan, historian and curator of the FIT Museum. Hence the importance of the print designed by Georges Vuitton. “The Monogram is much more than an emblem; it is the very essence of Louis Vuitton,” he emphasizes in statements to S mode Pietro Beccari, chairman and CEO of Louis Vuitton (and also of the LVMH Fashion group since January). In designing it, Georges Vuitton wanted to pay homage to his father, by intertwining his initials in the logo and completing the motif with floral medallions. He did so by drawing inspiration from the historicist influence of neo-Gothic and Japonism, one of the dominant artistic movements of the time, which, with its thick black ink strokes, influenced the works of painters such as Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Paul Gaugin or Vincent Van Gogh.
This origin linked to art has not ceased to be part of the history of the French brand: in 2001, the creative director at the time, Marc Jacobs, asked the American urban artist Stephen Sprouse to reinterpret this monogram, and since then different artists, from Takashi Murakami with his colorful variations of the original, to Yayoi Kusama or Cindy Sherman have worked on the design. The first collaboration with Murakami, in 2002, opened a new path in the relationship between art and fashion, became a bestseller and fueled the collection. This year, and with Zendaya as the image, this Louis Vuitton x Murakami collection has been reissued. “The first thing they asked me when they contacted me about the original collaboration was to renew the Monogram, inspired by Japanese emblems. I suppose that’s why it was so successful in Japan,” the artist recalled in early 2025 in S mode. The references to the creations of Georges Vuitton were his starting point, he explains in Hyperbeast: “The Damier print is inspired by ichimatsu Japanese (traditional geometric checkerboard style pattern) and the flower is similar to kamon (Heraldic shield of the Japanese family)”.
In addition, the Monogram is now part of popular culture: from Catherine Deneuve to Tina Turner, via Zendaya and Ana de Armas, celebrities from the world of music and cinema have worn this print on their accessories, and trophy trunks like that of the Monaco Formula 1 GP incorporate the design. Throughout 2026, the company will recover this badge of its heritage, as Beccari explains: “To celebrate the 130th anniversary, we have reinvented and highlighted the icons that have transmitted its heritage, to offer new generations a deeper understanding of its long history and the enduring values of transmission and sustainability that support it. » The CEO sees this anniversary as “an opportunity to explain why it has achieved this status, which assures customers that they are purchasing a piece that will be appreciated and passed down from generation to generation”. The brand will dedicate thematic windows, recalling its emblematic Monogram bags – the Speedy, Keepall, Noé, Alma and Neverfull models – and will present the Monogram Anniversary and Monogram Origine collections. A real treat for defenders of the importance of the logo which American journalist specializing in the fashion industry Dana Thomas talks about in her book. Luxury (published in Spain by Superflua): “Today, objects from luxury brands are collected as if they were baseball cards, exhibited like works of art and displayed like emblems. »
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