The Man Behind the Monogram
Novelist Caroline Bongrand digs deeper into the story of young Louis Vuitton, unearthing the craftsman, innovator and adventurer within
Celebrating the 200th birthday of luxury house Louis Vuitton’s eponymous founder, novelist Caroline Bongrand takes us on a journey of his illustrious life in her novel Louis Vuitton: L’audacieux. Published by the prestigious Éditions Gallimard, the book recounts the French fashion designer’s early days and the many identities he embodied—craftsman, innovator, friend, husband and father.
Tell us about how you connect with Louis Vuitton.
It starts with my mother, a very elegant French woman who carried a Louis Vuitton vanity case wherever she travelled. As a little girl, I was drawn to [its elements]—the shape of it, the locking mechanism, all the secrets it held.
Until eight years ago, I just thought of Louis Vuitton as a brand. That changed when friends of mine at the brand told me [Vuitton’s] life story. It was a fairy tale—with over‑the‑top characters and a journey of a lifetime.
What led you to work on this fictionalised account of Louis Vuitton’s life?
Many of us remain in the dark about who the real Louis Vuitton was, so I wanted to share a story I was personally impressed by: of a young boy whose willpower, courage, vision and determination led him down a remarkable journey. He witnessed historical time posts of the 19th century—the cradle of modernity—teeming with invention and innovation.
Was writing this book any different from your previous novels?
It was a totally different experience, as I had to get into Vuitton’s skin to tell his story. I wanted to explore his mindset and what persuaded him to leave home at 13, and how he became the man who would plant the seeds of a luxury empire. Great life stories, unfortunately, begin with overcoming heartbreak. That is, to me, a message full of hope.
The distance between my main character and myself turned out to be very thin. As I finished the book, I genuinely felt a pang of sadness I didn’t know how to process. I’ve written about 12 novels so far and this has happened to me only once before. To love a character so dearly is certainly an experience. With Vuitton, I was with him; he was with me.
What about his story surprised you?
I spent an ample amount of time reading up on the Second Empire, to map out the friendship between Vuitton and Eugénie de Montijo, the Spanish widow of Napoleon III. She protected him and he was there by her side as she became Empress of France. Saying farewell to the Empress at the end of the book was deeply moving.
Given that Vuitton left home at such a young age, he had a deep love for his wife and son, and couldn’t bear to be apart from them. Yet, he sent his son to England to pursue his studies at a young age, for his son’s future. [His son] even came back bilingual, proving to be a huge milestone for the future of the company.