- - From Tina Turner to Regina George: Inside 130 Years of the Iconic Louis Vuitton Monogram

Alexandra HildrethDecember 30, 2025 at 1:00 AM

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The Louis Vuitton Monogram Celebrates 130 Years Courtesy of Louis Vuitton

A monogram may be a simple concept, but it’s one that has come to define over a century of luxury design at Louis Vuitton. Originally designed in 1896 by Georges Vuitton following the death of his father, Louis Vuitton, the first monogrammed canvas immediately cemented the distinct legacy of the French maison. The monogram “is more than just a pattern,” explains Pierre-Louis Vuitton, the great-great-grandson of Georges. “It’s the very essence of Louis Vuitton and the culmination of 40 years of relentless research and dedication by the house to craft an unmistakable identity.” On the eve of 2026, 130 years on, that sentiment still rings true.

Throughout the 20th century, the monogram took on a life of its own, becoming central to the visual narrative of the house. From trunks to hatboxes, the dissemination of the LV logo neatly coincided with the global expansion of the brand, as demonstrated by the opening of the Louis Vuitton store on the Champs-Élysées in 1914 and the subsequent Osaka, Seoul, and Hong Kong flagships in 1978.

“The Train Journey,” an illustrated advertisement from 1929. DROITS RESTREINTS

Travel goods and accessories may be the foundation of Louis Vuitton’s rich history, but it’s the iconic handbag silhouettes that solidified the monogram as a fashion staple in pop culture. The Speedy, Keepall, and Noé bags were all introduced in the early 1930s and gained popularity in the second half of the 20th century—though they still retain the same timeless appeal now as they did almost 100 years ago. Now it’s difficult to look back at celebrity style without spotting a flash of the monogram, whether that be Tina Turner’s duffel or Regina George’s covetable limited-edition Takashi Murakami cherry-blossom pochette in Mean Girls.

For the pattern’s 100th anniversary in 1996, the brand tapped Azzedine Alaïa, Manolo Blahnik, Isaac Mizrahi, Sybilla, and more to create their own interpretations. This creative partnership set the stage for further iconic collaborations across numerous creative directors down the line, including Takashi Murakami, Stephen Sprouse, Yayoi Kusama, and eventually even Supreme in 2017.

Tina Turner traveling in style. Courtesy of Louis Vuitton

“As we celebrate its 130th anniversary, we honor its past while embracing its future, carried forward through icons passed from generation to generation: the Alma, Speedy, Keepall, Neverfull and Noé,” Vuitton says. To fête this next anniversary, the house will stage a series of global exhibitions and limited-edition artistic collaborations dedicated to the enduring influence of the monogram. “It remains a canvas for innovation, a blank slate to express the creativity of Louis Vuitton’s artistic and creative directors,” Vuitton adds. “It stands as a testament to our heritage, and as a symbol that continues to resonate in the world.”

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”