The Louis Vuitton Monogram Is 130 Years Old — Shop Our Favorite Reissues

Louis Vuitton is one of, if not the, biggest fashion houses in the world, and they’re never ones to do anything halfway. Prime example: When their classic 5th Avenue and 57th Street flagship store in Manhattan went under renovation, a simple tarp over scaffolding wouldn’t do. They meticulously recreated a Monogram trunk over the construction, turning a work in progress into art, and proving their classic LV Monogram pattern not only looks great blown up onto a skyscraper, but that their visual language does a lot of talking for them. It’s a pivotal moment for the brand, not only with a new store on the way for New Yorkers, but the biggest pattern in fashion is celebrating an anniversary.

A TL;DR history of 130 years of the Monogram: Georges Vuitton created the pattern in 1896 in honor of his father, who was an avid traveler, and also as a bit of protection of the brand. The LV-initial-and-flower print was hard to replicate when everyone wanted in on the luxury of Louis Vuitton’s world-class travel trunks. In a time when what you wore was just as important as what it was packed in, the Monogram ensured customers stood out and stay protected from the elements. The evolution of the Monogram is, hopefully, what Georges would have wanted: It has evolved since its beginnings and splashed across handbags, leather jackets, wallets, and yes, store façades, since its inception.

While travel trunks might have fallen out of vogue (save for Becca Bloom, TikTok’s favorite one-percenter), the Monogram pattern is still a go-to today. Rihanna relies on the Speedy for errands, and her Frank Gehry collaborative Monogram bag is one of her holy grails. The Murakami rendition of the Monogram is a favorite of Paris Hilton and Zendaya; other artists who have collaborated on Monogram reworks include Supreme, Yayoi Kusama, Rei Kawakubo, Manolo Blahnik, and Stephen Sprouse. More than just a simple canvas-or-leather-printed staple, the motif has become synonymous with timeless luxury (not quiet) and a dedication to the highest quality.

My high-school graduation present was a vintage Keepall, the classic duffel shape that looks even better after years of being roughened up and stowed in overhead bins. These are not pieces to put in your closet behind a glass door: They are meant to be lived-in and brought along on your most epic journeys. If you want to start 2026 with a dose of unapologetic luxury in your wardrobe, there is no better place to start than with any of the reissued classics, like the celeb-loved Speedy, the Neverfull tote, the Keepall, or the ladylike Alma top-handle bag. Oh, and if you’re in New York and find yourself in Soho, Louis Vuitton has opened the Louis Vuitton Hotel, a pop-up installation that takes visitors through rooms like the Alma Terrace, The Keepall Lobby, and the Neverfull Gym. (If only our gyms were never full all the time.) Because an icon like the Monogram cannot be contained to one room or one idea, and the spirit of travel lives on through the now-infamous pattern that’s hard to replicate and impossible to forget.