In 1867 Vuitton was awarded a bronze medal at the Exposition Universelle, an international exposition organised by Napoleon and held in Paris, which further increased the popularity of his work. During the Franco-Prussian War, from 1870-71, Vuitton’s workshop was looted and destroyed. Once the war ended he set up a new workshop in an aristocratic area of central Paris. Vuitton introduced a trunk in a beige and red striped canvas in 1872. The design appealed to the new Parisian elite and helped secure the brand’s position as a luxury offering.
In 1889 Vuitton won a gold medal and the grand prize at the Exposition Universelle, which once again helped to bolster the popularity of his work. Vuitton continued to work until his death at the age of 72 on February 27, 1892. He left control of the company to his son, Georges Vuitton. In 1896, in response to widespread copying of the brand’s patterns (a problem that continues to plague the house today), Georges created the famous LV monogram canvas – featuring diamonds, circles and flowers – to distinguish the brand’s products.
The Louis Vuitton building, the largest travel-goods store in world, was opened on the Champs-Élysées in 1914 and counted Coco Chanel as a patron.
