In this post, you discover the incredible Gaston Louis Vuitton and his window displays. Back in his days, he shaped the brand’s history.
I’m sure you may hear that Louis Vuitton is indeed the most valuable luxury brand, according to this Forbes report. Not only the richest but one of the oldest luxury brand, LV is truly the heritage global fashion label.
Louis Vuitton’s brand history
Undoubtedly, it is the long history of the brand proves its uniqueness to its customers. You may be surprised, but not only the current creative directors contribute to the brand’s values and profits. Equally, a family icon like Gaston Louis Vuitton is purposefully revived to associate the brand with art, originality and creative spirit since forever. His heritage lives not only in archives and books but also in current collections and window displays.
In short – it’s about the family, the creative genius that’s still in a company’s bloodstream.
Back to the history and the creative times
And talking about the growth, Gaston Louis Vuitton was indeed a forward-looking leader of the brand. Let’s get back to the twenties of the 20th century. Grandson of the company founder, Gaston was a businessman and an artist. As you can imagine in this business, it was a powerful skillset.
For one thing, he was not only a versatile creative, constantly drawing, painting, designing furniture, perfume bottles and collecting art. Finally, he was also a company director for fifty years shaping his family’s brand into the changing economy. Half a century is also a long time to put a stamp on the Louis Vuitton’s brand history and also present times.
Powerful heritage window displays
Gaston Louis Vuitton left books with drawings as well as an unbelievable antique collection. It was his lifetime heritage since he was an avid collector since his childhood. But let’s face it, this heritage is also a major part of the multi-billion business nowadays. And this could be also the reason that Gaston Louis Vuitton ‘Cabinet of Wonders’ was published by Themes and Hudson recently in 2017.
Very briefly, Vuitton’s collection consisted of hundreds of collectables focused mainly, but not only, on travel objects. To mention only a few: travel articles, toiletry accessories, hotel labels, printed monograms.
Trunks on window display
His passion for beautiful art objects and trunks served also the brand. For example, Gaston often displayed rare and antique travel trunks in Louis Vuitton’s boutiques’ prime locations like Paris or New York.
Gaston’s Louis Vuitton’s artistic window display sketches
We’re still in the twenties on the previous century, and back then window displays were an important aspect of the brand’s position on the market. Quite literally, as the brand was judged by its store location and how it presented against its competitors. Also, shopping was defining the class position and on top of that, it was the era of flaneurs, urban strollers and observers.
Vuitton as the company CEO understood the importance of shopfront design and treat it with an artistic vision in mind.
Besides, he was convinced that an attractive window design adds entertainment to streets and attracts customers.
Important to highlight, he didn’t limit his perspective on window design to simple product sales. Quite on the contrary, his artistic vision elevated window design to the social and urban aspect.
Gaston’s artistic vision of a window display was a combination of harmony and composition lines. He made a series of architectural sketched where the composition is based on symmetry and balance, the ancient rule.
His window display concept design encapsulates the idea of Modernity which welcomes the use of all art disciplines in one art form.
Since 2014 Gaston’s display sketches hidden in archives has been revived in LV stores all over the world. And it takes us back to the brand’s values nowadays.
The revival of the old sketches is an important message about the brand’s heritage, the creativity that established the business today.
Gaston Louis Vuitton sketches and window display images credits
Nowadays, Louis Vuitton explores Gaston’s sketches and apply them in their window design since 2014.
Brand heritage in today’s Louis Vuitton window displays
The architectural and symmetrical aesthetic of Gaston’s vision is still visible in Louis Vuitton’s windows.
Let’s explore:
