Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2009 ads featuring Madonna

Louis Vuitton Malletier, commonly referred to as Louis Vuitton, or sometimes shortened to LV, is a French luxury fashion and leather goods brand and company, one of the main divisions of LVMH headquartered in Paris, France. Known especially for bags and trunks, the company collaborates with prominent figures for marketing and design (most notably supermodel Gisele Bündchen and fashion designer Marc Jacobs). Internationally renowned and highly regarded for name recognition in the fashion world, as a result LV has become one of the most counterfeited contemporary luxury brands.

Louis Vuitton is one of the oldest names in the business. In 1854, Louis Vuitton opened his first store in Paris, hawking finely made trunks, hat boxes, and other luxury luggage for the well-traveled set. By 1888, he had his signature brown and tan checked pattern, and by 1896, the now iconic monogram that peppers its supple leather goods, including some instantly collective women’s bags—the Speedy, the Steamer, the Pochette—appeared. Amazingly, the company didn’t tap into the ready-to-wear business until 1997 when New York designer Marc Jacobs joined, immediately adding an incredibly lucrative clothing business while bringing Vuitton up-to-date by collaborating with such artists as Stephen Sprouse (who irreverently graffitied bags) and later Takashi Murakami (who added a bubble-gum anime humor to the line). Today, the label encompasses ready-to-wear, watches, jewelry, beauty, home, and, of course, that want-worthy luggage.

Browse: Louis Vuitton handbags

Source: Wikipedia , New York Fashion Show