Louis Vuitton The company was founded by Louis Vuitton (August 4th, 1821-February 27, 1892), who designed and manufactured luggage during the second half of the nineteenth century. Louis Vuitton was born in Jura, France (now part of the commune of Lavanssur- Valouse), but moved to Paris in 1835 and two years later, at the age of 16, became apprenticed to the luggage manufacturer Monsieur Marechal. In 1854, he founded his own company, which soon distinguished itself by its relatively lightweight, flat-topped and airtight trunks. Previously, trunks had rounded tops for water to run off, and thus could not be stacked. Vuitton's very first piece was the gray Trianon canvas flat trunk. Among Vuitton?s patrons was French Empress Eugénie. Today, the company is owned by the French-based holding company LVMH, headed by Bernard Arnault.