Happy 100th Birthday to the Louis Vuitton épi leather

Once upon a time, in 1920, the épi leather leaves the Louis Vuitton workshops, having been designed by Georges Vuitton and his son Gaston-Louis. The aim was to create a more resistant material, while transcribing the shadows of wheat fields.

6 years later, in 1926, the épi leather is finally used, an Indian Maharaja orders a tea trunk from the French house. This made-to-measure piece, which has become mythical, is the first object made from épi leather.

This leather, strong, resistant and brightly coloured, is however not much used. Indeed, it is only in 1985 that it will know its own line, with different colours.

The original colours of this leather were : black Kouril, red Kenyan, green Borneo, yellow Tassil, blue Toledo, red Castillan and orange Cipango. 

This dazzling leather has made many Louis Vuitton pieces shine, such as the famous Alma handbag, the iconic Noé, the Saint Cloud, and other leather goods like different wallets, keys holders,...

But the épi leather has also made its mark on certain pieces, made only from this quality leather. We can talk about pieces such as the Twist or the original Saint Jacques.

Epi leather was therefore created to meet the demand for a more durable leather, as travel was developing rapidly at that time. 

Its two-tone effect, which gives it a deep and textured effect, makes it directly recognizable.

What are the manufacturing secrets ?

This pressed leather is made by printing a pattern on leather. These textured prints are horizontal patterns. Then the leather is then dyed and finally a water-resistant coating is applied. This makes this material perfectly weatherproof and resistant to the passage of time. This texture presents an original visual, with a textured feel like shadows. Most of the time, Louis Vuitton uses calf leather because it has undeniable qualities: smooth and supple. 

 This leather designed by Louis Vuitton can be stamped, moulded or sewn to obtain its legendary look. This is why it can be adapted to many pieces of leather goods, such as various bags or leather accessories.

This leather has a number of advantages: it is durable, requires little maintenance, is scratch-resistant and is easy to clean. 

Indeed, in terms of maintenance it has never been easier, a damp cloth is sufficient. No wax is needed for the surface itself, as this would get into the grooves and change the appearance and colour of the leather. For deeper cleaning a soft bristle brush to remove dust from the texture is useful.

Opulence tells you more by video, as we have devoted our latest video to Louis Vuitton's épi leather.

We presented to you the history, some models, the colors and especially how to take care of your épi leather bag.

Opulence has a wide selection of Louis Vuitton pieces made in épi leather, who will dress your outfits for the beautiful days !

Louis Vuitton Mabillon backpack in yellow épi leather

Louis Vuitton pouch in blue épi leather

Louis Vuitton Noé handbag in blue épi leather

Louis Vuitton Jasmin handbag in red épi leather

Louis Vuitton Alma handbag in black épi leather

Louis Vuitton mini Saint Cloud in blue épi leather

Find a wider selection of Louis Vuitton épi leather products on our e-shop !