At The Heart Of The Craft

In a new tome, Louis Vuitton reveals how it is keeping the spirit of luxury alive by championing craft, innovation and the human connection

-  Pameyla Cambe

In the image-conscious times that we live in, luxury fashion is often defined by a single thing: a logo. But the world of luxury was never meant to be two-dimensional; it could be experienced in, say, the touch of an exotic leather handbag, or the shapely fit of a pair of shoes. French luxury maison Louis Vuitton offers a window into that world through its new book, Louis Vuitton Manufactures.

Across 400 pages filled with exclusive photographs, the tome traces the maison’s heritage of craftsmanship and innovation, from the very first luggage bag by Monsieur Vuitton to the panoply of leather goods, fragrances, watches, jewellery and clothing, that the multibillion-dollar brand is built on today.

“Fundamentally, it’s not about luggage, it’s about innovation,” says Michael Burke, chairman and CEO of Louis Vuitton, on what lies at the heart of the 168-year-old brand. “Innovation came before luggage. The reason why Louis went into business himself was because he wanted to innovate and create something different than what was on the market.”