FIRST STEP

the latter covering everything between sea and sky—this retrospective now on in Tokyo takes its name from an old 1965 advertisement. But Louis Vuitton’s journey to success began on foot, when he left home for Paris at age 14. It took him two years, many odd jobs along the way to feed himself, and a heart full of curiosity and courage to make the 280-mile journey from his hometown, Anchay, in the Jura mountains in eastern France. In Paris, his familiarity with woodworking immediately earned him an apprenticeship with Romain Maréchal, a box maker and packer, whose store was in rue Saint-honoré. In 1854, he struck out on his own, touting his expertise: “Safely packs the most fragile objects. Specialisation in fashion packaging”. He found favour with French empress Eugénie and her friends, and his continuous innovation and improvement to his product offerings paved his way to success for generations to come.