Even though most people can’t afford to buy a Louis Vuitton bag, people in Toronto can now get a taste of the brand’s history, for free.
For the first time, the Louis Vuitton Time Capsule Exhibition is on display on Front Street outside of Union Station. The exhibit has been open since Sept. 7 and will finish on Sept. 30. Admission is free. Although it has travelled to Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Singapore, Dubai, Madrid, and many more cities, this is the exhibition’s first stop in Toronto.
Replica of the first stackable trunk that Louis Vuitton created in 1858. (KASY PERTAB/TORONTO OBSERVER)
Starting with the most historical piece, Vuitton’s original stackable trunk is the first artifact a visitors sees when they walk through the display. The trunk was created in 1858, not long after Vuitton founded his company and opened his first store in Paris, France. One of the guides for the exhibit, Calvin Du, explained that the signature flower logo for the brand still remains a mystery.
“There’s a flower on the LV coated canvas, but we actually don’t know what kind of flower it is,” Du said. “If you ever get a chance to visit the Maison House in Europe where Mr. Louis Vuitton grew up, you’ll see the pattern on the washroom floors. The house itself is like a museum.”
Glad I took the time to check out LV Time Capsule Toronto 👌#LouisVuitton #Toronto #LVTimeCapsule pic.twitter.com/w9vftjpZNa
— Dylan Major (@dylanjmajor) September 27, 2018
One of the more captivating features of the exhibit was Annie, a craftswoman from Paris, who demonstrated her skills. Du explained that she was one of the artists who makes the Louis Vuitton bags. As she wove the materials for a leather bag for the crowd, Du added that most bags take up to eight hours to make, although others can take up to 14.
Roma Singh, a team manager for Louis Vuitton, explained that the historic brand is more than what most people think.
“[The time capsule is] here to make people aware that Louis Vuitton isn’t just about bags,” Singh said. “There’s so much more behind it. We do furniture now, we have perfumes which we just launched, we have books, we have fashion and fine jewellery. We go into every segment of the market. It’s really a brand for everyone.”
I stepped back in time last night through @LouisVuitton’s Time capsule. #lvtimecapsule #louisvuitton #louisvuittontimecapsule pic.twitter.com/DDmM0lVoEw
— Kimberly (@kimberly_lyn) September 27, 2018
Louis Vuitton is owned by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE, a multinational organization with its headquarters located in Paris.
Throughout the exhibit, the variety of pieces Louis Vuitton created over the years were brought to light. They ranged from modern furniture, to shoes and belts, to travel trunks, driver’s bags, doctor’s bags, steamer bags and more. There were also several pieces created in collaboration with celebrities such as Sharon Stone, Madonna, Pharrell Williams, and Emma Stone. Other collaborations featured designs from artists like Leonardo Da Vinci and architects like Frank Gehry.
Although the crowd was filled with curious locals, there were others who attended with a real love for fashion.
Sophie Stekel, 21, is a student at Western University whose love for fashion brought her to the exhibit. Stekel admitted that she was shy growing up, but that fashion helped her to express herself and open up.
“I was always obsessed with reading magazines, it was like this escape for me. It’s a really cool way to connect with wearable art, which is especially why I like Louis Vuitton and this kind of luxury fashion,” Stekel said.
Louis Vuitton continues to celebrate over 35 years of having stores in Toronto. The Time Capsule was just one way of sharing this celebration with the city.
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