2019.05.26, Sunday Louis Vuitton, Toronto Eaton Saks
Louis Vuitton is of the greatest and oldest luxury brand names known worldwide. Founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton himself, the brand is known to produce some of the best leather goods in the world ranging from handbags to suitcases to shoes. Since LV takes pride in selling authentic handmade goods with excellent craftsmanship; with quality comes cost and therefore the market is directed towards a wealthier mass for both men and women alike.
The name “Louis Vuitton” sparks thoughts of elegance, class and Parisian style, as its headquarters lie in the heart of the world’s fashion capital, Paris, France. Out of of the many merchandise that they sell they are mostly known for their personalized leather handbags which are produced in France, Spain and the US. Considering that these countries has some of the best leather products in the world, it reflects the quality of the products. However, LV also carries fragrance, eyewear, outlet and jewellery collections that are top of the line designer.
Store Experience
When walking into a Louis Vuitton store one senses the elegance in the air with the posh design and styling of the store. Their traditional colour scheme is black, gold, and endless shades of brown and beige. The textiles of the store include the famous LV logo damask print, which give a sense of harmony to the eye against the solid marble backgrounds. The stores are primarily made of marble, polished wood, and glass to create the illusion of a clean finish. The white flooring allows the handbags to stand on top of their wooden and glass pedestals. Most LV stores contain shelves and columns rather than mannequins as the bags are better modelled on those platforms. Typically, LV plays a calming classical tune within the store which sounds almost Parisian and gives the customers a sense of the origins of the brand. The scent of the store consists of a rose like fragrance and the smell of fresh polished leather. Normally, Louis Vuitton stores are not found in all shopping centres but only designer malls and within busy streets as a standalone store. When customers enter a LV store they are usually looking for something in particular which is why the store isn’t always crowded and packed with people as not many people can afford it; ultimately the rhythm of the store is very mellow and calming.
Advertisments
The brands advertisements are quite reflective of their store experience, when you see it you can’t help but think of “high fashion” and the fashion industry. Their advertisements use the same golden brown and black colour schemes and often pair it within an authentic natural environment such as an open field or a farm. They use psychological tactics such as celebrity endorsement to reel in their consumers, famous celebrities such as Emma stone, Rihanna, Kanye West, and Kim Kardashian have been the faces of LV brand catalogue.
The Virtual World: Social Media
As for the virtual world, LV has a massive online fan base as they pull much of their customers in through digital marketing and social media advertisements and accounts. Their online stores sell products to countries all over the world and they advertise across multiple media platforms such as instagram, facebook and twitter. Their online stores precisely reflect their in store retail prices, which range around $1000-$2000 per original handbag. The cost is truly worth the value and quality of the product because the leather used in the manufacturing process is some of the best in the world. However, the truth is a large portion of the price tag comes from the name “Louis Vuitton” being branded on the product rather than merely its durable quality.
Manufacturing and Economic Footprint
Most of the products are manufactured overseas in central Europe, primarily France, Italy and Spain. In terms of environmental consciousness, Louis Vuitton is apart of the Better Cotton Initiative which is an organization that is aiming to change and transform cotton production by making it sustainable for the environment. They hope to reduce the economic footprint in the producing areas to improve quality of life and economic development. LVMH, owning company of LV has targeted to reduce 25% of its carbon emissions towards the environments to reduce climate change. Although they lack in reducing fabric textiles wastes and chemicals.
LV monitors the health and safety of their working factories and regulates safety issues using their LVMH Code of Conduct and Suppliers Code of Conduct. The one thing with luxurious brands are that the often use “real” textiles like animal skin, angora (bunny fur) and hair to create their products. One of the reason each piece is very expensive is because what separates their name from the rest is that the real textiles they use are the truthfully one of a kind and supplying exotic material is costly and must be processed with care to produce these luxurious bags. On the bright side, the brand has a mission to purchased leather goods from strictly monitories tanneries by 2020. In reality these luxurious brands are known for their quality, which essentially derived from animal skins. Since this company has built its name and foundation off of the quality of real animal textiles and authentic leather, it is a challenge for them to question and change their ethics. Moreover, as a multimillion dollar company they have the ability and the money to invest in more sustainable ways to manufacture and produce their products, perhaps reduce a larger percentage of carbon emissions and donate into animal welfare organizations.
fashion & social change 