By Jessica Ye (Jessica Yap)
There are few signatures in fashion as recognisable as the Louis Vuitton Monogram.
For generations, the motif has appeared on everything from travel trunks to handbags, becoming one of the most enduring symbols of luxury in the process. This year, Louis Vuitton is revisiting that familiar signature through Monogram Emblème, a new jacquard canvas that places texture at the centre of the conversation.
Rather than altering the Monogram itself, the House has focused on the material it sits on. Inspired by the cotton canvases once used on Louis Vuitton’s historic trunks, Monogram Emblème is woven from a blend of GOTS-certified cotton and linen fibres, creating a surface that feels noticeably richer and more tactile than the coated canvases many associate with the brand today.
The effect is subtle but effective. The Monogram appears denser, almost embroidered, bringing added depth to a motif that has been reproduced countless times over the decades. It feels less graphic and more textural, inviting a closer look.
Colour also plays an important role. Developed using five differently coloured threads, the canvas draws from Louis Vuitton’s extensive Vuittonnier colour library. The first release introduces Peuplier, inspired by the wooden framework hidden within the House’s trunks, and Rose Ruban, a nod to the decorative ribbons found on archival designs.
Additional colours will follow later this year. Monogram Bleu revives a shade found in a 1930s register, while Vert Jura references the landscape and flora of the region where Louis Vuitton was born.
Monogram Emblème will appear across some of the House’s best-known silhouettes, including the Alma, Neverfull, Speedy, Noé and Keepall. The canvas also extends to the Side Trunk, a style that directly references Louis Vuitton’s origins as a luggage maker, alongside small leather goods, shoes and accessories.
Fashion houses frequently return to their archives, but the most successful updates are often the quietest ones. Monogram Emblème does not attempt to reinvent one of fashion’s most recognisable motifs. Instead, it offers a different way of experiencing it, proving that even the most familiar signatures can still reveal something new.
