Luxury brand: Louis Vuitton's luxuriously crafted travel trunks and luggage have a timeless appeal

It’s not that the French fashion and luxury luggage brand Louis Vuitton has been keeping a low profile.

Louis Vuitton luggage remains one of today's most sought-after in vintage markets.
These were seen at the interiorboutiques.com stand at the Winter Decorative Fair in Battersea Park, London,
January 22 - 26 2025.
Photo by Lucia Carpio

Just last week, on the opening day of Paris Men’s Fashion Week, Louis Vuitton unveiled its Fall/Winter 2025 menswear collection, helmed by artistic director Pharrell Williams. The show generated significant media buzz, largely due to its collaboration with Japanese designer Nigo. A nostalgic ode to the 2000s, the collection reflected the duo’s 20-year relationship, dating back to their work on Billionaire Boys Club in 2004.

Historically, Louis Vuitton luggage was used by royalty, aristocrats, and celebrities.
Owning a vintage piece is often seen as owning a piece of history.

Then, this week, came another major announcement: Louis Vuitton will be the title sponsor of Formula One’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on March 16, 2025. With prominent trackside signage, the official race name will be the Formula One Louis Vuitton Australian Grand Prix, featuring LV-designed trophy trunks on the podium. This partnership falls under the 10-year sponsorship deal that Louis Vuitton’s parent company, LVMH, signed with Liberty Media-owned Formula One last October—covering brands such as Louis Vuitton, Moët Hennessy, and TAG Heuer.

Meanwhile, Louis Vuitton’s long-standing collaboration with Japanese contemporary artist Takashi Murakami is celebrating its 20th anniversary. To mark the occasion, LV is relaunching the collection with a campaign fronted by Hollywood star Zendaya, who was only eight years old when the original collaboration debuted. Murakami’s vibrant and playful designs made a major impact two decades ago, and the new “extensive re-edition” includes over 200 pieces, ranging from bags and footwear to fragrances and sunglasses.

Yet, despite this flurry of high-profile projects, Louis Vuitton was noticeably absent from the latest Lyst Index ranking of the world’s hottest brands.

This week, when global fashion search platform Lyst released its Q4 2024 Lyst Index—a quarterly ranking of fashion’s most sought-after brands—Louis Vuitton failed to make the Top 20.

Lyst, which tracks over 200 million shoppers annually, compiles the Index based on online searches, product views, sales, and social media engagement over a three-month period. According to Lyst, 2024 was a year of transformation in fashion, with consumers reassessing the value of luxury labels. Miu Miu dominated, taking the No.1 spot in three of the last four quarters, with Loewe briefly disrupting its streak in Q2. Prada remained a consistent Top 3 brand, while Saint Laurent climbed steadily within the Top 5.

The rest of the ranking saw significant movement, reflecting shifts in consumer preferences. Notably, Coach skyrocketed 10 places to No.5, experiencing a 332% year-on-year surge in demand thanks to a Gen Z-focused strategy and strong holiday sales.

LV’s menswear AW25 collection, blending streetwear influences with its luxury heritage, showcased boxy bomber jackets, distorted camouflage, checked Damier prints, shaggy cardigans, and flared denim. While tailoring was minimal, the collection embraced bold accessories, catering to younger consumers with chunky furry slippers, miniature bags, phone cases, backpacks, and even travel trunks.

Early Louis Vuitton flat-top trunks, wardrobe trunks, or pieces with exotic finishes can be especially valuable.

An antique Louis Vuitton steamer trunk or wardrobe trunk in excellent condition is valued for
 its age, provenance, and rarity.  Unique features like custom monograms, original interiors, and labels from different boutiques add to their value.

These were spotted at the interiorboutiques.com stand during the Winter Decorative Fair in Battersea Park, London, in January 2025.

It’s a stark contrast from the brand’s origins in luxury travel trunks. Yet, despite the shift in aesthetic, Louis Vuitton luggage remains one of today's most sought-after categories, both in contemporary and vintage markets.

With a legacy dating back to the mid-19th century, Louis Vuitton trunks and suitcases are crafted from premium materials like canvas, leather, and brass hardware, ensuring their durability and timeless appeal. The classic monogram canvas, Damier checkered print, and other signature motifs have never gone out of style, making vintage pieces highly coveted by collectors. Vintage trunks are often used as statement pieces in home decor. Their timeless elegance makes them versatile as coffee tables, storage units, or conversation starters.

Perhaps, in today’s volatile fashion landscape, Louis Vuitton should consider refocusing on its core business—luxuriously crafted travel trunks and luggage—an evergreen symbol of prestige, heritage, and craftsmanship.

The vintage Louis Vuitton luggage featured here were spotted at the Winter Decorative Fair in Battersea Park, London from January 22 - 26 2025.  The fair offered a unique mix of antiques, design and art for interiors and exteriors as well as collectable pieces of outstanding craftsmanship.  All photos by Lucia Carpio.

Market update:  

In the week of January 29, reports emerged that French luxury conglomerate Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH) faced declines in both revenue and profit, reflecting the impact of challenging market conditions in fiscal year 2024.

For the year, group revenue totaled €84.7 billion, marking a 2% decrease compared to the record-breaking figures of 2023. However, on an organic basis—adjusted for currency fluctuations and portfolio changes—revenue showed a modest 1% increase. In the final quarter, the group also achieved 1% organic revenue growth, surpassing market expectations.

Performance by Division

Fashion & Leather Goods (including Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Loewe, Givenchy, and Celine) recorded €41.1 billion in revenue, a 3% decline (organically -1%) from the previous year.

Wines & Spirits saw an 11% revenue drop (organically -8%), bringing in €5.9 billion.

Watches & Jewelry declined by 3% (organically -2%) to €10.6 billion.

Perfumes & Cosmetics was a bright spot, growing 2% (organically +4%) to €8.4 billion.

Selective Retailing—which includes DFS, Sephora, and Le Bon Marché—increased 2% (organically +6%) to €18.3 billion.

Profit Decline

LVMH’s profitability also took a hit:

Profit from recurring operations dropped 14%, totaling €19.6 billion.

Net profit attributable to shareholders fell 17% to approximately €12.5 billion.

Despite the declines, LVMH remains the world’s largest luxury group, navigating economic headwinds while maintaining growth in selective areas.

Antiques, design and art Fair: London's Decorative Fair at Battersea Park 3 - 8 October

The Decorative Fair this season, running from October 3 - 8 2023 at the Battersea Park in London is showing a fresh stock selected by 135 of the UK’s top antiques, design and art dealers. It’s a feast for the decorator and collector, say the organisers.  

A treasure trove of refined reflection of stock have been put on display for collectors, interior designers, decorators and admirers to browse and buy from dealers who showcase a wide range and inspiring selection of decorative objects, home design collectables, furniture, lights and art, textiles and soft furnishings to bring unique style and personality to one's home or garden, covering a wide range of eras and cultural influences.

Nick Jones

Justin Evershed-Martin

The Fair’s front Foyer is a special Rococo display featuring a collection of antiques and art for sale from various exhibitors. 

Visitors can see and buy furniture designs and works of art in a light-hearted, often wildly ornate form of decoration that originated in early 1700s France.  Anti-classical in style, Rococo features exuberant swirling scrolls, and elaborate usually asymmetrical naturalistic outlines. 

Wallpaper and textile company Parker and Jules have supplied the Leopard print used on the wall in the window and a panel of a floral rococo-esque print called Eversley, used inside the stand.

A pair of rococo Murano glass wall lights, early C20th, Hossack & Gray.
Photo courtesy of the Decorative Fair

Elsewhere, for those looking for interior design ideas at the fair are a world of decorating possibilities.  

Gallery KIY

"Apple Core" by Brian Caster from MUSE The Sculpture Co.

"Apollo" by Thomas Joynes from MUSE. The Sculpture Co.

Jenna Burlington

DJ Green Antiques

From rustic country seating to sleek mid-century accessories, and traditional storage solutions to contemporary art for a gallery wall, as well as more personal accessories such as high-end jewellery and vintage handbags, and creative design from the last four centuries laid out at The Decorative Fair.  

Han Collection

This Autumn, new exhibitors include Ken Bolan Studio (Wiltshire) offering a mix of modern & decorative pieces, rare antiques & continental furniture, sculptures & paintings.

Also new is Spitalfields House (London) showing an erudite collection of C18th and C19th English and continental furniture and works of art. 

Historic Windsor Castle Desk from Martin D Johnson

L Prentice Art & Antiques of Old Spitalfields Market and The Old Cinema Chiswick shows British painting and sculpture of the 1950s to 70s; folk art and studio ceramics.

The Swedish Rug Company (London) displays Scandinavian ‘folk art’ rugs, flatweave runners and larger rugs dating from the 1900’s to the 1970’s while Schmid McDonagh (London) re dealers in C20th and C21st objects, furniture, jewellery, art, design and books.

King & Country (London) is a specialist in antique Louis Vuitton luggage & luxury travel accessories, unusual decorative items & rare collectables for the study, games room & bar.

Flora Black Ltd (London) shows a selection of vintage and antique vases, ornaments and art and Han Collection of Museum Street ,London showcases  exceptional Korean contemporary art & antiques.

Upstairs on the mezzanine is a specialist fair Tribal Art London, the long-established and only premier UK event for collectors and admirers of original tribal and ethnographic art and artefacts.  

Frans Faber

Kezhia Orege

Specialist dealers offer fascinating works of art, sculptural objects and textiles and accessories made by cultures from across the world, including Asia and African countries.

Photos by Lucia Carpio

London's Decorative Fair - from May 9 to 14 May 2023

Celebrating the arrival of Spring is London's Decorative Fair in Battersea Park, taking place from May 8 - 14, 2023.

Billed as the UK’s "most beautiful antiques, design and art fair, and the interiors event of the season", the event is set to feature 130 stands, with an added focus on garden antiques this season, the fair  welcomes British and international savvy style-hunters and leading professional design and trade buyers on the hunt for unusual and one-off items of furniture and decoration for interiors and exteriors. 

With pieces for sale dating from the 17th century to the 1970s, a myriad tastes are tempted: from extraordinary to understated, opulent to folksy, formal to fun.  Paintings, prints, posters and sculpture are also on offer, from classic to contemporary.  

The Fair Foyer Feature will focus on early English furniture, textiles and objects both of, and inspired by, the period of Charles I and Charles II in the 17th century, displayed with later items in an informal country room setting.  The display will include still life paintings of all periods from the 1600s to the contemporary.  Expect simple English wood tables, coffers and chairs mixed with comfortable later seating and accessories in a timeless space.  Look out also for sustainable, expertly crafted heirloom designs that have stood the test of time..

New exhibitors at this Fair include:

Anthony James & Son Ltd (London): Member of BADA & LAPADA. 18th & 19th century furniture, objects and decorative items.

Cal Smith Gallery (London): Cal Smith is a dealer of Modernist and Brutalist artworks with a particular focus on relief wall sculptures. He is a trained restorer and conservation framing expert.  Cal will be presenting his large collection of exceptional works by the late Ron Hitchins (1926 - 2019).

Disquarded (Kent): Adam Green focuses on original antiques for the home and garden and unusual decorative items from the UK & France.

Florence Evans Fine Art (London): Art dealer and art historian specialising in 20th Century British pictures, sculpture and ceramics, with a focus on female artists.

Holtby & Co (Dorset): Young dealer specialising in unusual country house furniture, antiques and objects from 16th - 20th century.

Loveday Antiques (Hertfordshire): For over 50 years Loveday Antiques has specialised 18th - 20th century furniture, objects and works of art. Members of BADA & LAPADA.

For the garden, one can discover unusual decorative objects, sculpture, planters and furniture with dealers such as Muse The Sculpture Company who specialise in contemporary bronzes and large-scale works to commission for outdoor spaces, Wakelin & Linfield who favour elegant ironwork decoration such as étagères, benches and urns, Inglis-Hall Antiques where folk art weathervanes can often be found, The Home Bothy and Vagabond for stone and marble statuary pieces, D.J. Green Antiques for all manner of planters and garden pottery, Garden Artefacts with antique and vintage garden ephemera and Violet Grey for decorative urns, garden ceramics and garden furniture.

The Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair has a relaxed and laid-back ambiance, where professional designers and trade buyers rub shoulders with private clients and international collectors of all ages. 

For further information, click HERE.