The Louis Vuitton Malle Courrier isn’t just one of the most enduring of the famed French fashion house’s designs—it’s the literal foundation of the entire company. And it’s the story of this trunk that’s at the heart of the first episode of Esquire’s new series, Iconic, which details some of the most recognisable and resilient items in the fashion world.
Back in the middle of the 1800s, before his initials were one half of the name of luxury juggernaut LVMH, Louis Vuitton himself revolutionised the luggage industry with a flat-topped, stackable trunk better suited to the uptick in rail and boat travel than its rounded predecessors. And the biggest innovation? Instead of using leather to protect the wood it was built from, Vuitton’s trunk employed lightweight-but-tough canvas that wasn’t prone to rotting in a baggage hold midway across the Atlantic Ocean.
The Louis Vuitton trunk was such a smash hit that other companies soon began copying the distinctive striped pattern of the original canvas. This led to the creation of the unmistakable Monogram canvas that we all know so well. A combination of the letters "L" and "V" with Japanese-inspired flower motifs, it was like nothing else on the market and an instant status symbol.
These days, though, identifiable imagery doesn’t hold the same value it once did in the fashion world. In fact, modern luxury’s emphasis on logos and signifiers doesn’t quite hit the mark. True luxury is defined by the work that goes in behind the scenes, the craftsmanship and know-how that inform the construction of goods that serve a real purpose and just so happen to elevate our experience of the everyday in the process.
That’s the idea behind Iconic. It’s not about names or brands or flash. It’s about the substance that earns these items their lofty place in the world—and maybe, eventually, your own collection.
