Hello all!
Some days ago, I received a nice piece of material with the Louis Vuitton monogram (it is an original piece that someone got from one LV atelier in France some years ago and now is in my hands).
I did a kind of "autopsy" this afternoon using the skiving techniques in Phil's videos ;P to see how it was inside, as it looks pretty much like plastic.... the point is that, far to find leather inside, I just saw this:
So, I don't know what to think. I thought there was something nice inside, but this thing looks to me just like a coat of plastic or rubber over a sheet of fabric or so. All the lighter brown part in the picture is like rubber. Maybe the piece of leather is soooo thin that I can't see it well? or I am the silly one who thinks LV doesn't make plastic bags...?
Wow, Amazing. Do you think anyone would have a case made like that today?
After getting in to this hobby, I got really impressed with Louis work. Like the use yellow stitches, on how they will look when the handles have gotten is patina. Matching the color on, not have the leather looks now, but how it will in 10 years. There trunk making, have not been matching (in my opinion) by any others.
And reading there history is amazing stuff. Like how young Louis walked cross France, to get to Paris and start trunk making. And got small jobs in one the way there, to get money for food ect
These old ones amazes me still.
LV don't use real leather. I used to work for LVMH (with Fendi) while in my uni years. I always found it weird that people would pay that much for what in effect was plastic. I think that they use leather in more modern pieces but the ones with the logo have traditionally not been leather.
Hey Maru.
History lesson: Monsieur Louis Vuitton was one of the pioneers of trunk making in the early half of the 1800's. In those days most trunks would have been solid wood with a domed top to allow water to drip off.
He figured that trunks and travel would be more convenient if they were stackable on top of each other (which dome tops weren't). But in order to prevent a puddle of water on a flat top trunk soaking through the wood to the contents inside (trunks were frequently put on top of cars/trains/boats etc), he needed to protect the exterior.
So in order to do so he came up with the idea (some may contest that) of gluing over a layer of cotton canvas, then brushing on pigmented brown resin (likely shellac) which soaks into the canvas and dries hard, forming a fibreglass like waterproof layer.
Today LV have used this history to recreate the 'coated canvas' for use on their bags. Being in modern times, instead of traditional resins they use a synthetic variety such as PU or Polyurethane to create the same effect. The finished canvas will also go through a roller to press in a texture onto the surface.
Incidentally, cheap faux leather is also PU over a material backing with a leather like texture added. How convenient is that for LV? Shows the power of a good story!
Philip
I have wondered about this as well. It just does not feel like leather.