a
LOUIS
VUITTON^
Not many are strangers
to the LV logo plastered
across handbags (fake and
authentic) all over the world. Over
150 years ago the French box maker and
packer Louis Vuitton founded the luxury
brand. Combining hard work, innovative
ideas and determination he quickly saw
his signature trunks coveted by the
world’s elite. Born in 1821 in Anchay,
Vuitton left home for Paris when he was
16 and soon became the most
successful trunk producer in France. As
a result his next client was none other
than the Empress of France, Eugenie
de Montijo, wife of Napoleon III. He
designed trunk after trunk and rose
to the top of his field with the
introduction of the famous red and
beige canvas trunk in 1872. The LV
logo, on the other hand, was
created 20 years later as a
response to widespread copying,
which is a problem that plagues
the brand to this day.
Thanks to the inspired designs
by Marc Jacobs, who
introduced the brand to
today’s urban youth, and
Nicolas Ghesquière, the
current creative director,
Louis Vuitton will likely
continue to make travel
beautiful for generations
to come.PHOTOS:CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: LOUIS VUITTON; THIERRY MUGLER; YVES SAINT LAURENT; KARL LAGERFELD_STORE VIENNA_RENDERING; MUSEUM DER ILLUSIONEN WIEN; GOLDSTEIN RESIDENCE (JOHN LAUTNER); KAUFMANN HOUSE (RICHARD NEUTRA).BRANDS TO KNOW
These iconic designers have not only left their mark on the world of
accessories, but their brands have stood the test of time.
YVES SAINT LAURENT
He said one of the most famous lines in fashion history: “Fash-
ions fade, style is eternal.” The French style icon was born in
1936 and began his career designing dresses for his mother and
sister. At age 17, his love of fashion took him to the Chambre
Syndicale de la Haute Couture in Paris (part of the governing
body for the French fashion industry). During his education he
won several awards where he outshone his competition, including
Karl Lagerfeld himself. Recommended by the editor in chief of
French Vogue, Christian Dior hired him on the spot and soon his
sketches turned heads in each year’s collection. After the tragic
death of Christian Dior, Saint Laurent found himself the head de-
signer of the house at the age of 21 and saved the brand from finan-
cial ruin a year later, catapulting himself to international stardom.
But his time at Dior was short lived. After an ugly battle with the
brand that fired him while he was doing military service, he founded
YSL with his partner, industrialist Pierre Berge. In 1966, as his designs
were flourishing throughout the fashion world, he introduced the now
famous le smoking - the first tuxedo for women. Through his work he
has continued to push the boundaries of trends and fashion, redefining
beauty standards for generations of women.THIERRY MUGLER
To this day Thierry Mugler insists that his clothing is not futuristic but modernistic and that “intellect is the servant of the
spirit.” In 1973, when he presented his first personal collection named Café de Paris, the public held it in the highest
regard; a collection that represented women in a sophisticated, strong and urbane way. The eccentric designer
became famous for breaking taboos and made headlines with his power suits, leather masks and daring,
sometimes painful designs. During the ‘90s at the height of his success he designed pieces for movies,
musicals and celebrities. The most famous video was probably George Michael’s “Too Funky”
featuring some of the most iconic Mugler designs, which included the motorcycle dress. Time
never stood still for him as he turned his attention to art and photography and published
Fashion Fetish Fantasy in 1999. In 2004, he moved away from his brand but to this
day his influence can be seen around the world from the Cirque du Soleil to
Beyonce’s Formation World Tour.