Many dream of owning a Louis Vuitton item, but even more dream of having a Louis Vuitton item that has the iconic LV monogram on display. Louis Vuitton has become a symbol of refined taste, power, and luxury.

Only a few brands have a legacy as rich as Louis Vuitton's. This has a lot to do with its brand identity, which has remained consistent for over two and a half centuries now. 

Let’s take a look at the rich history and the evolution of the company's logo and how it was employed to design the brand identity of the infamous French fashion house.

History of Louis Vuitton Brand

Louis Vuitton established as a brand in 1854 in Paris, France. Vuitton's business began with bags. Louis Vuitton's foray in the market since then has seen many victories. The initial focus was to produce leather goods that were luxurious and elegant enough to be a part of elite women's collections. This business gradually transformed into an iconic house of fashion, designing shoes, garments, and accessories for both men and women. However, it is globally famous for its elegant luxury handbags and purses, which are status symbols in the current fashion arena. 

There is no doubt that the success of the company was because of the matchless, sophisticated design and the high quality of their items. However, equal credit goes to their iconic LV logo. Its simplicity is symbolic of the luxury and indulgence of Louis Vuitton items and plays an important role in its brand marketing.

History Of the Louis Vuitton Logo

Louis Vuitton stands out among the many luxury labels because of its loyalty to its original logo, designed by Georges Vuitton in 1896. Gaston Louis Vuitton, the grandson of Louis Vuitton, did not have much impact in the company. This was after his father's passing when he assumed the leadership of the company and started a luggage business.

He chose his father’s initials to create the Louis Vuitton logo or the LV monogram, as it is more commonly referred to. He hand-drew the LV initials on a canvas, and the monogram did not change much from that initial drawing. The meticulously intertwined letters “V” and “L” were inspired by the Roman fonts and were a way to pay homage to Louis Vuitton, his father and the founder of the company.

The Louis Vuitton emblem includes a monogram with complete wordmarks, which are used mainly on the buckles and fabric patterns. The logo is often interlocked with a floral pattern, also designed by Georges Vuitton in 1896.

The flower pattern is part of their additional emblem. There are two variations of the stylized flower - both are abstract.  One is a rounded flower encased in a solid circle. Other has four elongated and pointed petals enveloped in a black rhombus. 

The Louis Vuitton pattern history is that the flower motifs were Japanese-inspired. This was to prevent any counterfeit activities in the Parisian fashion industry. This monogram pattern has been displayed on various products in new and novel ways such as on the LV luggage and LV bags.

A business rarely remains this committed to its logo and the brand identity even after more than a century. Although there have been slight modifications to the emblem, the brand identity remains consistent.

The most noticeable change was made in 1997 when Marc Jacobs, the creative director, eliminated the wordmark beneath the LV initials and highlighted the LV monogram. It was a subtle modification that maintained the original elegant essence of Louis Vuitton while simplifying the design even further.

What Does The Logo Mean?

The monogram consists of an italic interlocking L and a straight V in a classic Roman-inspired font. The LV initials are of its founder, Louis Vuitton. Initially, Louis Vuitton used his name handwritten as a logo. When his son took over the business after his passing, he introduced a formal logo. The now-famous logo and monogram have become the most recognizable emblems on the market.  

Louis Vuitton’s initials and flower pattern are not just its logo. It has become synonymous with luxury and affluence. The LV monogram is worn by many, including celebrities and politicians. The Louis Vuitton emblem reflects strength, elegance, and tradition, which cannot be replicated in any other luxury fashion house.

The interlocked LV monogram pattern and floral design have now become a signature of Louis Vuitton. Although designed around a century ago, it has remained fundamentally unaltered, and the emblem has become synonymous with Louis Vuitton's legacy.

The only subtle changes that have been recorded are from when Marc Jacobs was the creative director of the company. This enduring monogram is proof of the company's commitment to tradition, heritage and quality. It continues to exude class, elegance, comfort, and luxury.

The Louis Vuitton Logo Font

The most noticeable part of Louis Vuitton's logo is its font which has not changed since its first design by Georges Vuitton. Although it was first hand-drawn, it is said that the typography of the monogram was inspired by classical Roman fonts.

The popularity of the Louis Vuitton monogram is also because its design is a fusion of modernity and tradition and therefore it appeals to a greater customer base. It also speaks of the two distinct styles that can often be seen in the Louis Vuitton handbags.

The wordmark positioned beneath the elegant monogram is in the sleek and graceful Futura sans-serif font. The font reflects the brand’s classic elegance while also representing the modern ethos of the Louis Vuitton company.

The LV monogram remains unchanged from when it was first designed by Louis Vuitton’s son and the then leader of the business. It showcases a straight upper-case “V” overlapping an italicized upper-case “L”.

Both letters include elongated serifs and prominently thick lines that reflect the brand’s respect towards tradition. It also reflects the strength, luxury and sophistication of the Louis Vuitton brand.

Louis Vuitton Logo Colors

The original Louis Vuitton monogram was predominantly black. The colour black signifies the ethos of Louis Vuitton - elegance, excellence, and innovation. However, now, the company embraces a wide variety of colors to appeal to all demographics.

The colors are aligned with Louis Vuitton’s various branding campaigns and product lines while maintaining the brand’s identity as an elegant luxury fashion house. The color ranges from monochromatic to vivid colors to pastel hues.

The most notable colour rendition is the classic soft, muted brown that harmonizes with the natural leather hues, and it has now become synonymous with Louis Vuitton handbags. The brown LV bags are also the ones that sell out the fastest, even if they are not the most practical purchase.

Marc Jacobs first introduced a colorful monogram pattern in many colors, such as blue, purple, white, pink, and yellow. This pattern appealed to the youth and brought a fresher product line to the brand while maintaining its classiness and elegance.

Apart from the branding strategies and innovation in design, Louis Vuitton’s visual identity is based on two color themes: black and brown. The black theme is a neat and sleek version that conveys strength, tradition, and elegance. It's the same on LV website.

The brown theme, with a light-beige, golden-hued emblem, symbolizes grace, luxury, and refinement. Both colour schemes capture the brand's ethos perfectly.

Final Words

Even after such a strong and unique brand and visual identity, Louis Vuitton is one of the most frequently imitated brands. To protect its brand identity, it has allocated a high amount of its communications budget to counter counterfeiting activities and has also designed the iconic Monogram Canvas. The counterfeiting activities only show the ever-growing success of Louis Vuitton.

The iconic fashion house has managed to remain relatable without modifying its logo or monogram, other than the minor adjustments that do not alter the brand identity. This is a lesson in marketing that many fashion houses can learn from. A consistent and well-thought-out brand image can do wonders for the success of the company. This characteristic can be observed in other luxury companies with a storied history, such as Christian Louboutin.

In its not-so-brief history, LV has made many intelligent collaborations with entities that align with its values and, therefore, strengthen the company's distinct message and values. Some famous collaborations were done with Kate Moss, Frank Gehry, Naomi Campbell, Paul Poiret, Cindy Sherman, Kim Jones, Karl Lagerfeld, Nicolas Ghesquière, Marc Newson, Stephen Sprouse, and the most famous ones: Supreme collaboration and Dapper Dan's knock-ups.

The fashion industry maestros have learnt the art of design as well as the art of marketing and brand identity. This is something that many smaller yet valuable brands must learn from powerhouses such as Louis Vuitton, who have at least a century-old legacy.

So, we hope you enjoyed finding out everything about the LV logo.