By Angelina Harrison
Louis Vuitton was born on August 4, 1821. When he was ten years old, his mother passed away. His father remarried soon after. His new stepmother antagonized him. At thirteen, Louis Vuitton ran away from home and toward Paris. After over two years and a 292-mile walk, he made it to the capital, Paris. Louis Vuitton worked as an apprentice for Monsieur Marechal. Monsieur Marechal was a box maker and packer, a respected craft during this time. Sixteen years later, Napoleon Bonaparte staged a coup d’état. Once Bonaparte regained his title, he married Spanish countess Eugenie de Montijo. She hired Louis as her personal box-maker and packer. After he married, Vuitton created his box-making and packing workshop in Paris. Four years after opening, Louis Vuitton invented a new rectangular trunk. He received more orders and eventually moved his workshop to Asnieres for a bigger workspace. His trunks were ordered from French royalty and Egyptian royalty. His business was interrupted by the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War. After the war, he returned to Asnieres to find the village in ruins, staff dispersed, equipment stolen, and his shop destroyed. He devoted himself to restoring the business and rebuilt his show at a new address. With the new address came a new focus on luxury. He operated at his new address for twenty years and continued to innovate high-quality luxury luggage. He died at age seventy on February 27, 1892. His son, Georges Vuitton, continued his company and created the well-known LV monogram.
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