The young Vuitton was 13 at the time and would need to travel on foot to get to the capital, which was hundreds of miles away. The story behind iconic luxury brand Louis Vuitton - best known for its esteemed handbags, crossbody bags, leather goods, ready-to-wear clothing and more - is one of craft and innovation in the worlds of fashion, jewelry and furniture.The company’s modest origins can be traced back to when its founder, Louis Vuitton (1821–92), wishing to free himself from the conventional lifestyle in his provincial French city of Anchay as well as a difficult stepmother, left in the early 1830s to make a new life in Paris.