VIBE

Ever since master layetier (trunk maker) Louis Vuitton opened a luxury luggage shop in 1854, business has been booming. In the early days, the aristocracy flocked for his signature flat-topped trunks; these days, Paris’s best coiffed come to the grandiose Champs-Élysées flagship to scope the elegant handbags and accessories. Since 1998, collaboration with Marc Jacobs has seen the arrival of a popular womenswear line and hot-hot-hot limited edition pieces by guest designers like Steven Sprouse and Takashi Murakami.

USE A PURCHASE FROM HERE FOR

Investment piece luggage or handbag; wardrobe enhancement; gifts

WHY WE LIKE IT

This is THE place to come if you’re into LV–the flagship carries the latest collections and then some. (We were particularly wowed by the extravagant leather and canvas trunks, which are still handmade, including customized locks and hand-etched serial numbers.) And even if Louis Vuitton isn’t your thing, a visit to the flagship is still a classic Paris experience. Don’t miss the interesting ground floor exhibitions, which have been known to cover everything from contemporary art to the history of luggage making.

GOOD TO KNOW

Louis Vuitton also has Paris boutiques in department stores Galeries Lafayette, Printemps, and Le Bon Marché. If you want to combine shopping with a little bit of tourism, make for the top floor of the Champs-Élysées flagship–it offers great city views. An interesting historical factoid: issues with counterfeiting have dogged the brand from as early as the 1860s. In fact, the signature Louis Vuitton monogram, which today still appears on everything from handbags to scarves, was first introduced as a deterrent for counterfeiters.

OTHER LOCATIONS

6th Arr. - St-Germain (Paris); 8th Arr. (Paris); major cities across France and around the world

CLOSEST COMPS

Hermès (Paris); Asprey (London)

Click here for our full-form mobile travel guide, The Purple Passport to Paris