Louis Vuitton Has Still Got it
by Logan Steele
Louis Vuitton | 111 Bloor St. W. | (416) 968-3993
Hours: Mon–Wed 10–6, Thurs – Fri 10–8, Sat 10–6, Sun 12-5
Louis Vuitton was founded in 1854 in Paris, France. At this time it was primarily a trunk manufacturer, gaining such immediate recognition that it was forced to expand its operation and relocate its factory to Asnieres by 1860. Needless to say this was the beginning of what would later become one of the world’s first luxury and designer brand producers. International recognition wasn’t far behind and L.V. quickly became the luggage standard for royalty, diplomats and the elite. 1892 marked the demise of the company’s original founder and ushered in its takeover by his son, Georges. Georges is credited with developing the now iconic “L.V.” monogram after facing bouts with inferior imitators. This symbol would become one of the best known in marketing history as the company propelled itself to even greater heights.
What I love about this particular label is that it has never seemed to have lost its momentum and focus. Considering, it could be argued, that L.V. is the first luxury brand, that’s saying a lot. The label is so beloved in its hometown of Paris that a law was enacted ensuring that anyone seen selling or carrying an imitation will face immediate confiscation. How crazy is that? All you L.V. fake owners consider yourself warned! Even today there are limits placed on how much L.V. product a tourist can buy in the span of a visit, and it is not uncommon to be approached by other tourists who may ask you to buy bags for them because they have exceeded their limits. Believe me, it happened to my wife and me on our last visit to Paris. It was very dodgy: a couple had handed us a picture of the desired product and was proposed giving us the money to go and get it for them. If this isn’t an indication of a world gone Vuitton mad, I don’t know what is. My point is, L.V. hasn’t lost a single step and is just as relevant as ever.
1998 would be the beginning of the era of Marc Jacobs, who was brought on board by Georges son, Gasto-Louis. What can you say about the brilliance of this coupling? Marc Jacobs had just come from a very successful relationship as the Head Designer of the American brand, Perry Ellis, and was highly regarded as the man who brought “grunge” to the runway. It seemed like he had just the right amount of edge to modernize the veteran luxury label. And it worked. Since the partnership, L.V. has received record-breaking sales and is seen worn by everyone imaginable, from debutante to derelict. The luggage, tote, handbags and all accessories are unceasingly innovative. The clothing line is unbelievably progressive and continuously, season after season, reminds the world of how being fashionable can become an everyday occurrence. I love this line. And, if you are ever in Paris, do yourself a favour and check out the newly renovated flagship store on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées. It is stunning and the ambiance reads more like a museum than a retailer. It is fully worth the fifteen minute line up that is often present at the store’s entrance way. What can I say? The Parisians know what they are doing where fashion is concerned.
This brings us to the Louis Vuitton store here in Toronto. I must say the atmosphere seemed very proper and reminded me more of a library than that of a designer boutique. I did find it a bit stuffy. Don’t get me wrong, the store’s interior is breathtaking and would no doubt please any die-hard L.V. connoisseur. The security staff make their presence known and make you feel slightly reluctant to touch or pick up any item, possibly in fear of the “you break, you buy” policy being swiftly enforced. But I must say they have a great selection of not only the expected L.V. bags, but also its clothing collection. This thrills me because I find this is often the component most noticeably missing from a lot of the other high-end stores in the city. The staff was surprisingly very helpful and was willing to take the time to show me around. I wasn’t expecting them to bend over backwards; however they did extend the courtesy of answering my questions. If you have been to some of the other boutiques on Bloor, you know exactly why I’m bringing up this point. Overall I enjoyed my experience at L.V. and would put it on a to-do list for Toronto destination shopping.
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One Response to “Louis Vuitton Has Still Got it”
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My wife Josie, entered your shop the other day with intentions of trying on a pair of jeans. She graciously greeted a security person, and continued through the shop, but noticed that the man was on the move.
When she arrived at your upper floor, she noticed the security person had decided to follow her.
My wife, saw him nod at a sales person who immediately offered her assistance.
The experience was intimidating and insulting for my wife, who then decided to not to shop or look any further.
I do not know what criteria your store sets out to determine what people to target as suspicious, I know that my wife always well dressed.
Josie can not imagine what provoked the action of the security person, but in the future my wife’s advice would be to exercise a more discrete action, so as not to be as obvious, when he decides to target someone… Good judgement should be a exercised so as not to embarrass your clients…. You should never loose sight that a anyone employed in the store represents the great brand of Louis Vuitton.
My wife enjoys your shop, and the experience of shopping….but this was a complete degrading event for her.
TONY BATTAGLIA
PARTNER, V.P. CREATIVE DIRECTOR
ALLARD JOHNSON COMMUNICATIONS
2 Bloor Street East
26th floor
Toronto ON M4W 3J4
416-315-7366