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KNOWLEDGE

LOUIS VUITTON 101:
THE MATERIAL GUIDE

By Koyaana R. July 29, 2020

Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide

LV has a seemingly infinite range of materials available.

From canvases to leather and everything in between, not to mention the variations of each, Louis Vuitton has created an arsenal of materials at their disposal that does not detract from their notability.

This article will be your guide to the basics of Louis Vuitton’s inventory of textiles and leathers. Please note, each set of examples shown is but a small sampling of many available styles and colors.

Common Exterior Materials

Coated Canvas

This is by far the most recognizable and used textile in Louis Vuitton’s line of products. Nearly all of the brand staples are available in this material. It is often mistaken for leather but is, in fact, a coated canvas that has been textured to look like such.

Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Coated Canvas
Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Coated Canvas
Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Coated Canvas

Epi Leather

By far the brand’s most common leather option due to its durability, Epi leather is a uniquely textured vegetable tanned hide made in an array of colors.

Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Epi Leather
Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Epi Leather
Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Epi Leather

Electric Epi Leather

A variation of Epi leather, Electric Epi is its shiny patent counterpart.

Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Electric Epi Leather
Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Electric Epi Leather
Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Electric Epi Leather

Monogram Empreinte

This is a much less rigid leather that is supple and soft yet incredibly durable with a light texture and classic monogram embossing.

Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Monogram Empreinte
Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Monogram Empreinte
Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Monogram Empreinte

Monogram Vernis

Monogram ‘Vernis,’ meaning varnish in French, was introduced in 1998 by Marc Jacobs and is a smooth patent leather embossed with the signature monogram pattern.

Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Monogram Vernis
Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Monogram Vernis
Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Monogram Vernis

Monogram Mat

This leather is widely used among newer models for a more subtle nod to the brand. While the monogram pattern is the same it is perforated, and not printed, into the leather with pinpoint precision.

Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Monogram Mat
Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Monogram Mat
Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Monogram Mat

Mahina

This leather is widely used among newer models for a more subtle nod to the brand. While the monogram pattern is the same it is perforated, and not printed, into the leather with pinpoint precision.

Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Mahina
Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Mahina
Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Mahina

Taïga

This is a corrected grain leather, which means it has been sanded and buffed to remove any imperfections and then imprinted with a new grain. This is currently only used for Louis Vuitton’s men’s products.a

Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Taiga
Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Taiga
Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Taiga

Taurillon Leather

The most understated of the Louis Vuitton leathers, this particular option does not have monogramming or marks other than the foil stamp. This leather is fairly soft but has a tendency to wear if not cared for delicately.a

Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Taurillon Leather
Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Taurillon Leather
Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Taurillon Leather

Calfskin

A common material much like Taurillon leather, Calfskin is used in more subtle luxury pieces such as the Lockme and Louise lines.

Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Calfskin
Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Calfskin
Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Calfskin

Damier Infini

This is one of the more popular leathers for men’s pieces in the LV line of products. It is embossed with the classic Damier pattern.

Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Damier Infini
Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Damier Infini
Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Damier Infini

Less Common Exterior Materials

Denim

Typically used for summer pieces of the past for women, denim has made a resurgence with Virgil Abloh at the helm of men’s creative.

Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Denim
Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Denim
Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Denim

Damier Carbone

Damier Carbone is a limited edition material created when the brand released a luggage in collaboration with BMW’s i8. It was only released for Louis Vuitton’s men’s collection items and is constructed with a unique carbon fiber coated canvas.

Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Damier Carbone
Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Damier Carbone

Utah Leather

Limited to men’s products, this leather is thick yet luxurious but is incredibly sensitive to wear with constant use.

Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Utah Leather
Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Utah Leather
Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Utah Leather

Surya

This is the patent version of Mahina leather and has only been made available for the L and XL hobo.

Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Surya
Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Surya

Monogram Taïgarama

Recently debuted for Spring/Summer 2019, Taïgarama pairs the brand’s Taïga leather in neon and classic hues with matching monogrammed canvas.

Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Monogram Taigarama
Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Monogram Taigarama

Exotics: Crocodile, Python, Ostrich

Not for the faint of heart, pieces that typically feature exotics in the Louis Vuitton lineup are in a price bracket all their own. These exceptional items may be entirely constructed of or feature elements of any of these materials.a

Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Exotics
Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Exotics
Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Ostrich

Interior Materials

Louis Vuitton has kept it simple when it comes to its interior lining materials. This is not to say there hasn’t been a myriad of color variations and patterns, but these are the most common lining options.

Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Alcantara Microfiber

Alcantra Microfiber

Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Canvas

Canvas

Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Cross-Grain Leather

Cross-grain Leather

Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Vuittonite

Vuittonite

Trims

There are few options when it comes to trim accents for Louis Vuitton. They often use the same material or leather as the main body of the bag, or they use contrasting trim of untreated vachetta. Vachetta turns a deep honey color with age and the more durable coated leather may be used for items that would be subjected to more wear and tear.a

Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Vachetta Leather

Vachetta Leather

Louis Vuitton 101 Material Guide Coated Leather

Coated Leather