The queen (wife of Napoleon III, nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte) appointed Louis Vuitton as the trunk-maker in the early 1850s.
This position helped him acquire royal and elite clientele and gain a ‘high-class’ reputation.
Reason 2: Innovation.
Vuitton replaced the then-prevalent leather canvas with sturdy waterproof canvas and the dome shape with a flat top that facilitated stacking suitcases, one on the other.
Wealthy women used suitcases extensively at that time, and the suitcases used to have dome-shaped tops so that when it rained, the water could flow off.
This was critical as suitcases were made of wood & covered in leather, and water could damage them.
Otherwise, they were very inconvenient – both for packing stuff in them and carrying them as they had to be placed side-by-side.
Because of their waterproof canvas with a ‘checkerboard design’ and flat-tops, Vuitton’s suitcases had a distinctive look, and they got noticed among the elite.
Soon he gained the reputation of a trunk-maker with keen observation and one who understood the needs of travellers.
He lived this reputation by getting his craftsmen to create custom-made suitcases after consultation with customers.
His legacy of luxury was carried forward by his son and others who became a part of LV.
Reason 3: High manufacturing cost.
The bags are produced in France, primarily by hand and sewing machine, not by mass-production engines, and the work is not outsourced to ‘cheap-labour’ countries.
Also, the collections are designed and manufactured by expert artisans using high-quality raw materials.
LV bags are fireproof and waterproof and go through stringent durability tests.
They are dropped from a height of half a metre for four days straight with a weight of 3.5 kg inside.
The material is exposed to ultraviolet rays to ensure resistance to fading, and the zippers are opened and shut around 5,000 times to ensure durability.
Reason 4: Limited availability of a given item.
Louis Vuitton suspends the production of a given product once the sales target of that product is achieved.
If the target is not met, the leftover products are burnt or shredded after every season.
In some instances, the leftover products may be offered at discounted prices to ’employees only’ with strict conditions and tracking to ensure they don’t end up on online platforms such as eBay.
Reason 5: No discount sales.
LV is one of the few brands that never hold any discount sales, maintaining the luxury profile of the brand.
Reason 6: Counterfeits.
LV is one of the most counterfeited luxury brands in the world.
A high number of counterfeits and exclusivity helps the brand deliver on the rarity principle (a situation when many people know about a brand but very few can access it), making it even more coveted.
