Louis Vuitton’s leather products are sought-after and considerably expensive, so how do you stop them from cracking?
Louis Vuitton’s leather bags tend to be made from Vachetta leather, a high-grade and expensive material. The easiest way to prevent cracking in this leather is to keep it supple and ‘hydrated’ with a leather conditioner product. You should also avoid excess crushing and bending of the bag.
Read on to learn more about Louis Vuitton and how to care for its products.
The Height Of Fashion
Louis Vuitton is one of the oldest, richest, and most recognizable fashion labels in the world. The company was founded almost two centuries ago in Paris, which is often considered the fashion capital of the world.
The founder, Louis Vuitton, was a prominent designer, entrepreneur, and capable businessman. He didn’t start out in fashion, but in storage – he manufactured and marketed trunks and chests.
Today, the company he founded is worth more than forty billion dollars and is recognized all around the world. Their operating base is huge, effectively covering more than fifty countries.
As time went on, Louis Vuitton’s offerings became smaller in size, with the company opting to make and sell more handbags than luggage. It’s these products that make up the core of their range today.
Reportedly, the Louis Vuitton brand is one of the most profitable on the planet, with staggeringly high profit margins per product. Aside from bags and trunks, Louis Vuitton also makes and sells jewelry, shoes, and other accessories.
Louis Vuitton works on a principle of exclusivity and scarcity, factors which serve to drive up the value of their products immensely. It’s reported that once Louis Vuitton reaches a sales target for a specific product, that product is taken off the shelves.
They don’t hold sales, they manage their stock levels with an iron fist, and they use the finest materials in the manufacturing processes. The popularity of Louis Vuitton among the world’s elite has driven the demand for their products sky-high in recent years.
Ultimately, unless you have a contact on the inside, you’ll be working hard to pick up a brand new Louis Vuitton bag. Not only are they sometimes thousands of dollars, but there will be so much competition you’ll likely miss out on the purchase.
When You’ve Got One, What Do You Do?
Aside from snapping the most extravagant pictures for Instagram, what do you do with your Louis Vuitton bag? You’d think people would put them to good use, but the high value of these products make them extremely profitable collector’s items.
More often than you’d think, these bags will go into storage for several years, in the hope that they’ll appreciate in value. However, your two thousand dollar Louis Vuitton won’t stay in perfect condition forever.
One of the worst things about leather – real leather – is that it’s a natural product and subject to considerable degradation. Louis Vuitton uses Vachetta leather in the majority of its products, which is a high-grade, superb quality material.
However, this leather can still exhibit signs of wear and tarnishing, particularly if the bag is in active use. At the worst end of the spectrum, leather that is overworn or dried out will crack and fracture.
How do you avoid that happening, though? Firstly, you’ll need to regularly treat your bag with a ‘leather conditioner’, paying special attention to the areas that move a lot, such as the strap.
This conditioner is designed to keep the leather supple and hydrated, ensuring it doesn’t dry out over time and crack, or become rough and abrasive. Ultimately, it’s one of the only defenses you have against the degradation of leather.
Too Late To Make A Difference
If you’ve failed to treat your bag or care for it effectively, it’s not the end of the world. There are plenty of resources out there that exist to repair broken leather or replace parts that are irreparable.
Louis Vuitton themselves pioneer this, offering you the ability to walk into any boutique in the world and request a quote for a repair. While it’s not likely to be cheap, it’s better than sitting around with a broken bag that you can’t sell or use.
Overall, a Louis Vuitton is a considerable investment and should be treated as such. If you take care of it, one day the bag might be worth a substantial amount, and you can sell it on.
Who knows, you might make enough to buy two Louis Vuitton bags.