BON VOYAGE

TO CELEBRATE LOUIS VUITTON’S 200TH BIRTHDAY, FRIENDS OF the MAISON WERE INVITED TO PERSONALISE CANVASES OF the EMBLEMATIC TRUNK — and THESE ARE NOW on DISPLAY AT the MARINA BAY SANDS EVENT PLAZA

- AMANDA LEO

For monsieur Louis Vuitton, the travelling trunk is a vessel of dreams. It was created nearly 200 years ago, after he travelled nearly 450km on foot from his hometown to Paris, and became the item that revolutionised the way we travel today.

While luggage in the past mostly featured a curved lid, Vuitton’s trunk boasted a square top instead. It was an innovative design that proved to be highly practical — being stackable, waterproof and durable — and was quickly replicated among trunk manufacturers. But the Louis Vuitton trunks always stood out because of their chic patterned fabrics — some featuring a red-striped canvas, others the Damier check, while yet others the ubiquitous interlocking monogram.

The trunk has since evolved to suit the modern lifestyle, as seen most recently in the SS’22 Petite Malle East West collection, which features bags that can be carried by hand, slung on the shoulder or toted as a clutch. There’s also the new Malle Chien, an adorable pet-sized trunk suitable for a furbaby, and the new Vanity Mahjong trunk in deep green and ivory to spice up any dinner party.

Now, to celebrate the Maison's 200th birthday, talents, artists and friends of the house have gathered for their own take on the emblematic trunk. Titled Louis Vuitton: 200 Trunks 200 Visionaries: The Exhibition, the presentation showcases plain canvases in the trunk’s measurements, personalised with their artistic interpretations of dreams.