The Olympic Games is a showcase of a countries finest athletes so as a host nation it came as no surprise that Louis Vuitton was choosen by France to take centre stage with its medal trays and torch trunks for the events..
As a world leader in luxury and symbol of French savoir faire and craftsmanship and drawing upon a tradition of creating quality travel gear, Louis Vuitton has designed and crafted two trunks for the official Olympic and Paralympic torches and two trunks for the medals. The trunks represent the luxury brand’s slogan, “Victory travels in Louis Vuitton”.
Crafted by the brand’s artisans at its Beaulieu-sur-Layon workshop in the Maine-et-Loir region of France. The medal trunks are inspired by Louis Vuitton’s beauty trunk, the Malle Coiffeuse, with a central section and two hinged “wings” that open to reveal the drawers that hold the 468 medals which were designed by jewelry house Chaumet. The trays are sheathed in the Damier canvas, which dates back to 1888, and the interior is lined with the matte-black leather and embossed with the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympics.
The torch trunks bear a strong resemblance to the medal display with the exterior covered in Louis Vuitton’s iconic Damier canvas with brass corners and closures. The interiors are done up in black leather to avoid scratches on the torch surface, and to create a striking backdrop when opened for display, the hinged lid bearing an embossed Paris 2024 logo.
The trunks which made there debut during the Olympic Games opening ceremony in Paris are sure to attract alot of attention for collectors. Last month, Christie’s offered the largest private collection of Louis Vuitton trunks to ever show at auction. Featuring pieces created slightly after the label’s founding in 1854 as well as contemporary versions. It was estimated to bring in 1.4 million euros to 2.1 million euros but ended up being sold for 2,367,792 euros.