2024 Paris Olympics: Louis Vuitton Presents Trunks For Torches & Medals
Paris, France, has earned quite a few monikers: it’s known as the City of Lights, the City of Love, and the Fashion Capital. As it prepares to host the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games, the biggest city in France shows us why these names have stuck.
Like any tastemaker, the Paris Olympic Committee decided to toss convention aside. The opening ceremony, for one, won’t be confined to a stadium. Instead, over ten thousands athletes will climb into an array of decorated boats (one for each national delegation), float down six kilometres of the Seine River, and come to a stop by the Trocadéro for the lighting of the cauldron. Likewise, the Paralypmic Opening Ceremony will be set in the open air. This time, the ceremony takes place at the bottom of the Champs-Elysées, framed by the regal backdrop of the Place de la Concorde.
Of course, athletes and spectators aren’t the only ones making a journey to Paris. For the festivities to happen, the iconic Olympic Flame must make a trip of its own. In May, the Olympic Torch will embark an Odyssean voyage from Olympia to Marseille; a few months later, the Paralympic Torch will travel to France from Stoke Mandeville, UK, for the August opening ceremony. Together, the torches are set to pass through the hands of more than eleven thousand torchbearers.
The journey calls for an almost unthinkable level of precision. The logistics alone are mind-boggling. For one, how does an active flame travel across the continent? And, just as important, what kind of packaging can keep it safe? To coordinate the trip, France turned to its enviable pool of at-home talent. French luxury fashion house Louis Vuitton was tapped to design trunks for the Olympic and Paralympic Torches, as well as the victors’ medals.
“Protecting the symbol of Paris 2024 — the torches — and the dreams of the greatest athletes — the medals — required the expertise of exceptional craftsmen,” said Antoine Arnault of LVMH Image & Environment. It’s a fitting partnership for Louis Vuitton, a label proud of its 170-year heritage. Since 1859, the French company has maintained a reputation for best-in-class trunks, luggage, and bags. “It is a great source of pride today to unveil these original creations, which I’m sure will remain engraved in the history of the Group,” Arnault added.
Like the Maison, the Olympic Trunks wear their heritage with pride. Damier canvases — emblematic of Louis Vuitton since 1888 — compose the exteriors, complemented by protective corners and closures of shiny, traditional brass. Soft matte black leather lines the inside, adding to an air of security and sophistication. The Torches Trunks put functionality front and centre, sporting circular ‘sockets’ on the base and lid to hold their cargo in place. On the Medals Trunks, two hinged wings open to show a series of drawers filled with all 468 medals. Black matte leather lining and handles protects the coveted awards, while embossed Paris 2024 logos nod to the Games.
“For over 170 years, Louis Vuitton has been creating trunks that embody excellence, creativity and audacity, values we share with the world’s greatest sporting events,” said Pietro Beccaro, Chairman and CEO of Louis Vuitton. He called the torches and medals “defining symbols of Paris 2024,” adding that common goals of “excellence, creativity, and beauty” strengthen the partnership between LVMH and the Paris Olympics.
After the pandemic forced a subdued competition in Tokyo, this year’s Games are sure to be packed — an estimated 600,000-plus attendees will watch the Paris 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony. Louis Vuitton’s role the historic ceremony cements the Maison’s reputation for excellence.
