Louis Vuitton was trained as a luggage packer for upscale Parisian families in the early 1800's and began his rise to fame by being appointed by Napoleon III to pack the dresses of the Empress Eugenie. He got the idea of his famous handbags based on his extensive knowledge of luggage and actually began by designing luggage for the traveling rich in Paris.

Louis Vuitton's earliest inventions included the idea of designing luggage that was flat and could easily stack in railway carriages. His rivals began imitating the rising popularity of his luggage designs which lead to the creation of distinctive stripes and checkerboard patterns.

The business was formed in 1854 and luggage begin to give way to handbag designs. The ever popular Noe bags were originally made to carry 5 bottles of champagne but it's success was so phenomenal that upscale women everywhere began to carry this elegant bag.

The Damier Canvas design had it's debut in 1888 and in 1896, the familiar Monogram design was launched to try and counteract the replicas made by his competitors who were copying his unique styles. The Monogram logo consists of intersecting LV initials with a curved beige diamond and a 4 point star inset. The design is continued by it's negative consisting of a beige circle with a four-leafed flower inset. A PVC coating is added to the fabric which is embossed with it's own design.

Today Louis Vuitton still stands for the highest quality and any purse that comes from their factory that does not meet these standards is destroyed. This company has stood the test of time for 3 centuries and continues to be a force in the fashion history of handbags.