For the 75th Anniversary of the iconic motorsport competition, Louis Vuitton presents a special edition FIA Formula One World Championship Trophy Trunk. But, to understand the weight of such a collaboration, we’ll need to go back several years. 127 to be exact. 

It’s safe to say Louis Vuitton transcends name-brand status. Everyone and their mother has heard of the luxury brand, its moniker as eminent as its distinctive Damier design. And yet, George Vuitton is a name mired in industry anonymity. Dear George, the son of the Louis Vuitton, was actually the first cog in the collaborative machine that led to the Maison’s partnership with Formula One today. 

Courtesy of Louis Vuitton

In 1897, just outside Paris in a village called Asnières, George designed the brand’s first automotive trunks ー in fact, this year’s trophy trunk comes straight from George’s storied workshop, currently standing as the House’s historic atelier. The son of the maestro created a durable canvas material, which he dubbed “Vuittonite,” as a substitute for leather, safeguarding each trunk from the elements, and this material would evolve into today’s iconic Louis Vuitton canvas. 

Courtesy of Louis Vuitton

Over the following 125 years, Louis Vuitton has remained closely linked to automotive culture. The House’s initial relationship with F1 was established through a partnership with the Automobile Club de Monaco, which consisted of developing and presenting the Trophy Trunk for the F1 Grand Prix de Monaco between 2021 and 2024. Following the announcement of an official partnership between F1 and Louis Vuitton earlier this year, the trophy trunk will be awarded to the best driver of the season at the end of the year.

Courtesy of Louis Vuitton

The FIA Formula One World Championship, which runs from February to December, is regarded as one of the world’s most prestigious motorsport competitions, and this year marks the event’s 75th Anniversary. To celebrate the occasion, F1 has selected London’s O2 arena (capacity 20,000, by the way) to facilitate the season’s launch, and, for the first time in F1 history, all ten teams, their drivers, and Team Principals will come together to unveil their 2025 uniforms, emblems, and team insignia. 

For those whose racing knowledge goes as far as the Christian Bale/Matt Damon spectacle that was “Ford v Ferrari,” you’ll be glad to learn that this year’s grand prize is on luxury fashion turf, with Louis Vuitton transporting the tradition of all custom pieces from the workshop to the racetrack. 

So, let’s take a closer look at what is soon to become the world’s most famous trunk. The piece’s two folding front panels are hand painted with a V ー both for ‘Victory’ and ‘Vuitton’ ー in the brand’s emblematic black and white Damier, not unlike the colors of the classic F1 finish line. The interior, swathed in black leather and microfiber, protects the trophy, while the exterior, finished with leather trim, boasts the same brass corner protectors, lock, and clasps that have sat on Louis Vuitton trunks since the 1860s. 

Here we are, nearly 130 years later, and victory still travels in Vuitton.

Courtesy of Louis Vuitton