Louis Vuitton’s history in the realm of travel dates back to the 1920s, when the Maison started designing powder compacts, brushes, and mirrors along with a selection of innovative vanity cases. Even the first Louis Vuitton handbags were conceived to carry daily essentials, most notably cosmetics and perfumes — something today’s micrototes and miniature purses are doing less and less of. 

Courtesy of Louis Vuitton

Nearly one hundred years later, Louis Vuitton announces the launch of La Beauté Louis Vuitton, an expansion of its immortal vision rooted in the spirit of travel. 

Courtesy of Louis Vuitton

The Maison, which will debut the line in autumn later this year, is placing world-renowned British makeup artist, Pat McGrath, at the helm of the project, appointing her Creative Director of Cosmetics. Having collaborated with numerous designers and fashion houses (including Louis Vuitton), and having launched her own brand, the eponymous Pat McGrath Labs, the artist is poised to help usher in a lifestyle beauty experience steeped in luxury and expertise.

Courtesy of Louis Vuitton

Buried in the Louis Vuitton archive are two pieces of preserved designer history: Le Milano, a bespoke makeup kit made for soprano Marthe Chenal, and a toiletry case created for Polish composer, Jan Paderewski. Both artifacts foreshadow the Maison’s enduring commitment to jet-setting codes and the lust for life behind them. Now, La Beauté Louis Vuitton, in collaboration with Pat McGrath and her incomparable eye, stands to carry this adventurer’s ethos into the present day.