Product Description

The first in-depth portrait of one of the world's best-known luxury brands, this elegant volume traces the remarkable history of the House of Vuitton, which has been making practical but stylish luggage, handbags, and accessories for more than 150 years. Written with full access to the company's archives, the book itself demonstrates Louis Vuitton's passion for fine design in a stunning array of archival art, historical images, product designs and sketches, and cutting-edge advertising.

Author Paul-Gerard Pasols, former communications director and longtime consultant to Louis Vuitton, explores the company's tradition of quality and innovation in the context of sweeping changes in society, art, culture, fashion, and, above all, travel. Examining the life and times of the company's first three leaders-founder Louis (who invented the modern trunk), his son Georges, and his grandson Gaston-the text focuses on the firm's development under their guidance. It also discusses Vuitton's explosive growth toward the end of the 20th century, including the 1987 merger with Moët-Hennessy that made it part of LVMH, the world's largest luxury goods company, and spurred the expansion of its boutiques to more than 300 locations in 50 countries around the globe.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #159654 in Books
• Published on: 2005-11-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 616 pages

About the Author
Paul-Gerard Pasols is the former director of communications for Louis Vuitton and a longtime consultant to the company. He was editorial director of Louis Vuitton City Guide 2004-New York, a finalist in the "best guide" category of the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.

Customer Reviews

Tres Magnifique!
This is a must have for all LV officianados. I have been collecting and using LV for over twenty-one years. This is an excellent literary and pictorial compilation of La Maison de Vuitton. Cudos! to the author, publisher, and of course La Maison de Vuitton for their continued commitment to perfection, elegance, and extrordinary products. Cudos, to the artisians for their pain-staking perfectionism in creating such works of art. This book is a tribute to over 150 years of leathercrafting, and now within the past 5 years pret-de-porte, couture, and precious metals. Vuitton continues to allow those of us loyal to the House to continue pushing the boundaries of style and fashion,and subtly encouraging admirer's of the House to indulge.

Life is a journey, so why not travel with the best. Well done LV! Tres magnifique!

Beautiful.
Fantastic history and beautiful illustrations. It has almost everything you've wanted to know about Louis Vuitton.

Plus great pictures so you can see what all the fuss is about!

Excellent History of the Vuitton Empire
If you are a Louis Vuitton collector as I am, or LV enthusiast, this tome will be a magnificent addition to your collection, or to your library. It is full of remarkable LV family history and full of the most beautiful photographs, some suitable for framing.

It contains manyo of the LV Posters for example, that I've tried to collect, and now have them in this book. It could make a wonderful coffee table book this holiday season.

One drawback: The center page is wonderful but terribly flawed by the center binding. It should have been a pull-out page instead.

I also saw it on eBay for more dollars and listed as "rare". Hardly!

Enjoy it.