Louis Vuitton marks 130 years of its monogram

[SINGAPORE] Beginning January 2026, the French luxury house will mark 130 years of its monogram, launching a year-long global celebration that reframes the iconic pattern not simply as branding but also as one of fashion’s most enduring cultural artefacts.

Created in 1896 by Georges Vuitton as a tribute to his father, founder Louis Vuitton, the monogram began as a measure against counterfeiting. Its interlaced LV initials and floral medallions were patented in 1897 as a form of intellectual property – a radical act at the time.

More than a century later, the monogram has become one of the most recognisable symbols in global luxury, powering a brand that continues to dominate the market.

Parent company LVMH reported total group revenue of 84.7 billion euros (S$128 billion) in 2024, with the fashion and leather goods division – anchored by Louis Vuitton – among the largest contributors to that figure.

The anniversary arrives at a moment when heritage houses are under pressure to prove that longevity can co-exist with innovation – and that icons can still generate desire in a landscape saturated with constant reinvention at the high-end and cheap knock-offs at the low-end. 

The year will open with a renewed focus on five Monogram bags that form the commercial and emotional backbone of the house: the Speedy, Keepall, Noe, Alma and Neverfull. 

Spanning nearly a century of design history, these pieces chart how its travel bags evolved from trunks to soft luggage to everyday companions.

Alongside these icons, Louis Vuitton will unveil three anniversary capsule collections that reinterpret the monogram through craft and materials.

The first, the Monogram Origine collection, revisits the spirit of the original 1896 pattern through a newly developed linen-and-cotton canvas whose soft pastel hues draw from a 1908 archival client register.

SEE ALSO

Five Singapore business leaders look back on 2025

Under Kaws’ moonlit glow, a Singaporean leads Manar Abu Dhabi’s night-time art show

Cindy Karim: Redefining a billion-dollar Indonesian family empire

The second, the VVN collection, places the spotlight on natural vegetable-tanned cowhide – a material the house has worked with since the 1880s – designed to age visibly and personally over time. 

Finally, the Time Trunk collection offers a trompe-l’oeil meditation on Louis Vuitton’s trunk-making heritage, using high-definition printing to recreate rivets, metal corners and leather marquetry as visual illusion.

Culturally, the monogram’s endurance has been reinforced by its openness to reinterpretation.

Over the decades, it has served as a canvas for top contemporary artists ranging from Takashi Murakami and Yayoi Kusama to Cindy Sherman and Jeff Koons. These collaborations have helped the house stay culturally visible to a youthful audience.

Meanwhile, its own creative directors – from Marc Jacobs to Virgil Abloh, and today Pharrell Williams – have used the monogram as language to be quoted, disrupted, or re-spoken for new generations. Williams’ early menswear collections, for instance, reworked the monogram through tonal embroidery, handcrafted surfaces and heritage fabrics, moving away from pure logo display.

Industry trackers, such as FashionUnited and Modaes, rank Louis Vuitton as the most valuable fashion brand globally for 2025, while online search studies show Louis Vuitton to be one of most searched fashion houses. 

From a business perspective, the anniversary is a reminder of what luxury brands are ultimately selling – not fleeting trends, but the assurance that certain objects and symbols can survive shifts in tastes and technology.