Louis Vuitton Fashion is a world-famed fashion brand of luxury well-known for its high-end, masterly crafted and innovative products having no match in the whole vista of fashion world. The brand’s inalienable commitment to quality, matchless adherence to craftsmanship and highest level of innovative designs keep it in the limelight as it always stands out among the endless list of the fashion outlets.
The elegance, traditions, creativity, high skill, quality, sustainability, durability and style are the hallmark of the brand products ensuring deep-rooted loyalty of the customers. The traditional values and modern demands are blended so skillfully that the products seem to have nostalgic aura and the forward-looking vision.
WHAT WAS LOUIS VUITTON’S ODYSSEY THROUGH LIFE?
Migration serves the purpose for what it is ventured out. Louis Vuitton stepped out of his troubled house at the age of 13 following his sour relations with his stepmother and he went for an odyssey through life as he had visualized a bright future. He seemed to be Joseph Andrew of Henry Fielding with a difference as novel’s hero had patronage and assistance but Louis Vuitton undertook sole expedition confronting with the odds on the way from Jura to Paris in 1835 at the age of 13.
He toiled on the rough road for 470km doing odd jobs on the way making the survival possible and reached Paris in 1837. In fact, he had written success on the page of fortune when he decided to carve out his future on his own and the future course of actions proved it true.
SOLE ENTREPRENEUR
In the middle of Industrial revolution, Vuitton became an apprentice to an expert trunk maker and packer. After a few years, Vuitton established his own reputation of being a skillful trunk maker and packer among the elite class of Paris. As the French Empire reestablished under Napoleon II, Vuitton became a personal trunk maker and packer of the Empress of the French who charged him packing the most beautiful clothes in a quite exquisite way.
His job helped him in establishing contacts with other elites of the city who remained his valued customers for the rest of his career. In 1854, after his marriage, Vuitton launched his own work place and outside his shop hung a sign with a message, “Securely packs the most fragile objects.” In 1858, Vuitton introduced rectangle canvas trunks when the market had only rounded-up leather trunks.
This revolutionary step earned him fame in the business world as demand for his durable, strong and lightweight trunks peaked and he enlarged his business by opening bigger workshop in Asnieres-sur-Seine. The pattern of the canvas was named ‘Damier.’ He also designed world first pick-proof lock as all lock patterns were safely kept at Vuitton workshop and registered with the owner’s name in case duplicate was required. This earned him customers’ loyalty and sustainable business model.
- RENAISSANCE
Franco-Prussian war in 1871 hit a blow to Vuitton business as his workshop was in a shambles as his staff ditched him and many of his tools were stolen. However, he did not lose heart and girdled up his loins and reestablished his new shop at 1 Rue Scribe near to a famous and known jockey club in the center of Paris. It was 1872 when Vuitton embarked on another innovative product featuring beige monogrammed design adorned with red strip and this design remained a main feature of his brand even after his death in 1892.
HOW TRIBUTE WAS PAID TO ILLUSTRIOUS FATHER?
The monogram of Louis Vuitton ‘LV’ became a name of luxury, aspiration, uniqueness showing power and affluence. The monogram was conceived and created by Georges Vuitton to pay a tribute to his illustrious father and to protect the identity of the brand. The interlocked monogram with floral motifs proved to be an introduction to the high-end, skillfully crafted, quality ensured products of the brand with luxury, durability, sustainability and customers’ loyalty and these aspects became the concept of the brand.
- BUSINESS MODEL
The Louis Vuitton business model centers at creating high-end luxury products from iconic leather items, stylized clothing, elegant jewelry items, finely produced accessories to aromatic fragrances. The brand has been making progress through decades because of its strong commitment to craftsmanship ensuring high quality and innovative designs.
The blending of tradition and innovation make the products timeless and contemporary. The meticulous oversight of Vuitton family over the production of the items at every stage helps maintain standard, quality and sustainability of the brand. The vigilance at all the stages from ideation to production and distribution earn the brand an image that is crucial to its maintainability in the luxury market.
4 Ps OF LOUIS VUITTON
The Louis Vuitton follows 4 Ps strategy for the workability and profitability of the brand as it uses product strategy ensuring high standard and quality, price strategy based on the competitiveness of the market and in some cases, affordability being supreme and positioning strategy taking into considering what should be placed for the right people at the right place at the right price and on the right time.
- BOTTOMLINE
The Louis Vuitton brand has been weathering the storm of years, decades and even centuries and has been successfully making progress in highly competitive market and volatile fashion business world. This long sustainability is no doubt very challenging when the odds of months and years stare in the face. This shows that the standards set by the pioneers are very realistic and workable and more important factor is that those principles have been in practice through the generations.
The foundation of the brand is based on strong commitment to quality, standard, craftsmanship, blend of tradition with modernity, innovation and creativity. The consumers loyalty and trust are also important factors of the brands popularity and sustainability.
