Where is Louis Vuitton Made? 2024 Overview

Louis Vuitton, the multi-billion dollar elite fashion brand, was founded in 1854 in Paris, France. Even in the early days, owning Louis Vuitton was a status symbol. The brand exploded, and stores from New York to Beijing opened across the globe carrying their products. Today, society sees travel with a Louis Vuitton bag as the ultimate salute to sophistication and luxury. With this in mind, many people are curious about where Louis Vuitton is made and if they make their products in an ethical way.

Unlike other luxury fashion brands, Louis Vuitton has some unique manufacturing practices. In the rest of this article, we’ll discuss where Louis Vuitton is made and other important information about the company.

Louis Vuitton makes its leather products in France, Spain, and the USA. The company manufactures various other products in other countries, including Switzerland, Belgium, and the United Kingdom. No Louis Vuitton products are made in China.

Which Louis Vuitton Products Are Made in the USA?

You can tell that a Louis Vuitton bag was made in the USA by checking the tag, which they stitch into the seam of the interior. Bags before 2013 will have a stamp below the zipper that says the origin. Some of the American-made Louis Vuitton products include:

• Louis Vuitton Neverfull Tote Bag
• Clea Wallet
• Rosalie Coin Purse
• Twist XS Wallet
• Brazza Wallet
• Multiple Wallet
• Speedy 35

The one thing that we dislike about this company comes from the fact that they say, “Made in France, Spain, Italy, or the US.” We dislike this vagueness because how you can’t pinpoint an exact American-made product unless you were at a physical store to check the tag.

However, you could contact the brand ahead of time to coordinate having a product made in the USA sent to you. We wouldn’t recommend that you buy it without this because you may wind up with a product made from Spain, France, Italy or Switzerland.

Let’s clarify some things about the Louis Vuitton brand so that you can buy a true American-made product. The leather goods were made in either France, Spain, or the USA. Louis Vuitton produces its jewelry in France, Spain, and Switzerland. They produce their shoes in Italy. The scarves come from Belgium, and the hats come from the United Kingdom. If you want products made in America, they will come from their leather goods.

Is Louis Vuitton Made in the USA?

Louis Vuitton first started manufacturing in the United States in the 1970s, but they built their first workshop in the 2000s. For a short period in the 1970s, they gave the French Luggage Company the right under special licensing to manufacture Louis Vuitton. Saks Fifth Avenue was also a manufacturer under licensing, and they produced the signature monogram canvas. Today, in the United States, Louis Vuitton operates three workshops that include:

• Irwindale, California
• San Dimas, California
• Keene, Texas

About half of all the bags sold in the United States come from San Dimas and Irwindale. We like this brand because compared to other luxury brands like Gucci, Prada, Fendi, and Ferragamo, who mostly manufacture in countries outside of the USA to cut costs, Louis Vuitton makes some of its products in the United States.

The bulk of Louis Vuitton’s profits come from leather goods.

Their 100,000-square-foot facility in Keene was opened in 2019. President Donald Trump and Texas Governor Rick Perry visited the facility at its opening, which you can see in the video below:

In 2019, Louis Vuitton started at 150 employees and planned to build the facility up to over 500 employees. Over five years, they hoped to generate over 1,000 jobs in the Lone Star State.

However, we couldn’t confirm if Louis Vuitton ever reached that goal since we could find no further information. When you invest over $50 million into a project, however, we don’t think that they’d take it lightly.

Louis Vuitton established temporary factories in Texas in 2017. Not everyone felt that it was a good situation, with some accusing it of being a sweatshop operation and taking advantage of migrant labor from Latin America. We won’t say either way, but we will say that some employees also talked about how the conditions improved when Louis Vuitton migrated its operations to a permanent setting.

The opening started after the luxury brand signed a deal with the Trump administration to bring bigger paychecks and more jobs to the United States.

In total, they operate 24 workshops worldwide with most of its operations in Europe.

Six Bags Made at the Louis Vuitton Factory in Texas

Louis Vuitton makes six bags at its factory in Keene, Texas. They’re all canvas bags, and the factories in the US primarily work on canvas bags. Some of the bags manufactured in Keene include:

• Neverfull
• Artsy
• Graceful
• Palm Springs Backpack
• New Wave
• Lena

These are some of the top-selling bags in the United States for the brand, but you can buy many of these same products made in France or Spain.

Producing its bags in the United States offers a couple of advantages: First, they can avoid import duties. Since the Trump administration put tariffs on Chinese goods, it serves as a protection. Second, the brand can respond quickly to demand. When customers want to buy a product, it’s better to serve them right away to avoid losing the business.

Louis Vuitton spoke with the New York Times and said that they chose the location in Texas because of its central location and ability to serve the West Coast and the East Coast. They will also receive a 75 percent tax abatement for ten years, worth approximately $91,900 each year.

Louis Vuitton Date Code: How to Check Origin and Authenticate

Since the start of the 1980s, Louis Vuitton has employed a system known as the date code. They started this practice to fight counterfeiting, which grew worse in the 1980s.

The date codes offer you another location to check the origin and to ensure an authentic Louis Vuitton. We highlight this information to ensure that your hard-earned dollars go to support manufacturing jobs in the US. We also hope to keep you safe because Louis Vuitton is one of the most counterfeited brands out there.

Check the following codes to authenticate your products:

Country of Origin	Code
USA	TX, LA, FH, FC, SD, FL
France	VX, VI, TS, TR, TN, TH, SF, SL, SP, SN, SR TJ, AR, AN, AH, AAS, AA, A1, A2, AO, AAS, DK, DU, BJ, BU, AS, BA, SA, SD, RI, RA, MI, NO, DR, DT, CT, CO, FL, SD, ET, MB, LW, CX
Spain	GI, UB, CA, LM, LB, LO, LW, BA
Italy	TD, SA, RC, RE, PL, OB, NZ, MA, CE, FO, FA, BO, BC
Switzerland	FA, DI
Germany	OL, LP
Belgium	JA
United Kingdom	JH

Be aware of how some of the codes, like FL, will intersect with other countries. You may see FL with a tag that says, “ Made in France.” Check a second time to see if the code with the USA or another country is shared.

Now that we covered the letter codes let’s look at the date codes to understand the origin and the dates that they were produced. From 2007 until March 2021, they put the letters first and then the numbers. An example of that would be TX2105—it indicates that they made the handbag on the 20th week of 2015 in the United States. They implemented this code more to stop counterfeiters than to find the origin, but it helps with the origin as well. You can confirm it twice.

Since March 1, 2021, Louis Vuitton halted the use of the date code system, but we find it helpful to know if you bought a used Louis Vuitton product. Now, they will use an RFID chip to scan the code and pinpoint the exact manufacturing location. That means that only the Louis Vuitton store will know things like the origin and date after this point, but you can check the authenticity by visiting a Louis Vuitton store to have them perform an authenticity check.

How to Check for Fake Louis Vuitton

We highlighted how to check for fake Louis Vuitton with the date code, but we would advise diligence. First, only buy from reputable dealers. Check the reviews and see if they have a direct association with Louis Vuitton. Perfection is a must—this isn’t a low-price bag, so if you see slouches, creases, or strange proportions, take it as a red flag. The stitching should appear even and symmetrical. Authentic Louis Vuitton was hand-stitched, which shows more flawless corners and exquisite detail than mass-produced products.

This covers more information than what we want to cover here, but check out the video below for further information on fake Louis Vuitton:

Where Are Louis Vuitton Sunglasses Made?

The official Louis Vuitton website says that they produce their sunglasses in France or Italy. We don’t know about France, but in Italy, Louis Vuitton produces its sunglasses in northern Italy in Longarone because of the region’s long tradition of eyewear products. The real sunglasses from the brand should open and close with the smoothness inherent in luxury brands. They shouldn’t feel floppy.

In December 2021, Louis Vuitton took full control over the manufacturer Thelios when they bought a 49 percent stake from Marcolin. This brand was created in 2017. We see Thelios manufacture frames for several models in the Louis Vuitton Maisons catalog. The manufacturer employs around 245 people.

Popular Related Article: List of Great Sunglasses Made in the USA

Where is the Louis Vuitton Belt Made?

All modern Louis Vuitton belts were made exclusively in Spain. Belts that say anything other than Spain would indicate a counterfeit product. The only exception to this might be the older belts since they produced them in France in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s. Back then, you could even occasionally find them produced in the United States.

Take extra care with the Louis Vuitton belts since they are some of the most counterfeited products from the brand.

Where is Louis Vuitton Packaging Made?

While they make the products themselves in Europe and the US, the packaging originates from China, Hungary, India, and Vietnam. This doesn’t relate to the products themselves, but if you check the shopping bags, you will find that they made them elsewhere. We found how many of the dustbags were produced in India. To be fair, India is said to have some of the best cottons. The abundance of land and a distinguishing dry season have made it one of the best places on earth to grow cotton.

Don’t worry if you see this since they didn’t produce the actual product there, and it doesn’t mean that you bought a fake. We highlight this because some people may see the packaging origin and worry about the rest of the origin. If you check your bag, it should say made in France, Spain or USA.

Remember: Even when it says made in France, Spain, or USA, that doesn’t mean that they made the whole product there. In some cases, they made 70 percent of it elsewhere and assembled the last 30 percent in one of those countries.

Louis Vuitton: Made in France

The US uses imported materials, and all of the materials imported come from France. Let’s put this into perspective for why Louis Vuitton seeks global manufacturing. Every suitcase that they make requires 16 hours, and every trunk takes 60 hours. They couldn’t keep up with the demand in France alone, which made them seek assistance from countries like the US and Italy. Still, they continue to use imported materials that came from France.

Their original manufacturing facility was in Paris, but they have expanded throughout the country. For example, they have a leather facility in Beaulieu-sur-Layon. To better understand the scale, Louis Vuitton operates 16 leather workshops in France (https://www.fibre2fashion.com/news/fashion-news/louis-vuitton-opens-16th-workshop-in-france-251877-newsdetails.htm/). With 24 workshops across the globe, 16 operate in France, which means that the brand has 66 percent of its manufacturing in France. Contrasted with the United States, 12 percent of the manufacturing comes from the US. That only looks at the picture from an artificial level, however, since over 50 percent of the handbags sold in the United States come from an American origin.

Is Louis Vuitton Made in China?

If the origin tag outright says, “Made in China,” you more than likely have a fake Louis Vuitton unless their manufacturing practices change in the future.

On Louis Vuitton’s official website, they say that none of their products were made in China, but given the liberal labeling regulations of the fashion industry, they can produce a percentage of the product elsewhere and be protected by law.

We don’t say either way, but some consumers filed complaints against the brand for it. The overall lack of proof made the unfounded claims fall flat, however.

Many other fashion companies have made this switch, and we wouldn’t be surprised, but there’s no true evidence for Louis Vuitton outsourcing the manufacturing to China.

It could become a thing in the future because of China’s growing market for luxury fashion. They have a stable economy where many consumers could afford luxury goods like Louis Vuitton. We could eventually see this happening, but the production remains in Europe and the US for now.

Where is Louis Vuitton Made in Italy?

Louis Vuitton makes its shoes in Fiesso, a town in the metropolitan area of Venice. The brand has four main factories in the country and four shoe workshops.

Going back to the China claims, some anonymous workers in Cisnadie, Romania, have claimed that they produced the shoe for Louis Vuitton before sending them on to factories in Italy, where they would add the shoe sole. Bernard Arnault, the richest man in France and the chief executive at Louis Vuitton, vehemently denied those claims.

In 2017, the Guardian discovered otherwise and wrote about it in the article here.

This may lend credence to the belief that Louis Vuitton could even produce some of its products in China without us knowing, but again, we make no claims and believe that it could be either way.

Where Are Louis Vuitton Purses Made?

Whenever made from leather, Louis Vuitton purses will originate from the United States, France, or Spain. Truth be told, Louis Vuitton has an esteemed 4,000 specialist workshops in Europe and the US (https://www.thefashionlaw.com/louis-vuitton-factory-expansion-will-enable-it-to-make-new-bags-in-just-one-week/). Most of the purses from Louis Vuitton use 100-percent leather. To better understand this, Louis Vuitton made most of its handbags in France and Spain, and they made one new edition in the US in 2021.

Louis Vuitton Made in USA vs. France

Despite Louis Vuitton claiming that the leather goods made in the USA have no difference from the ones made in France, we thought we’d dig a little deeper—nearly all companies say that—especially when they make it in China. Unfortunately, that claim rarely proves true. While we didn’t find a big difference, you did have some differences.

Let’s have a look at the multi-pochette accessories so that you can get an idea of how an American-made Louis Vuitton may differ from its European counterpart. The pochette made in the USA has more of a pink color to the strap in comparison to the pochette made in France. With the made-in-USA strap, make sure to lay the inner metal part down flat when you store it to prevent damage. The pochette made in France was packaged with a rubber band to store it flat to prevent damage to the pochette tag.

The canvas of the pochette differs as well. We found how the pochette made in the USA had more texture to the leather than the one made in France. The design for the French one, however, has a more visible monogram print looking less faded. The zipper for the USA pochette was easier to pull over the French one. We found how the French product was equally good in many ways, but supporting France doesn’t support America.

Some people were even disappointed when they saw their bag was made in the USA, which we found an interesting change of pace since many people around the world see American made as some of the best quality in other product categories.

This reaction may have to do with some people seeing Europe as the paragon of sophistication and the hub of the fashion industry. Louis Vuitton plays to this bias, and many of their more expensive leather handbags will either be made in France or Italy. The American-made products cost less in many cases, but we would never call the products in the USA inferior—just different but the quality doesn’t stray too much from its European friends.

Popular Related Article: List of Leather Handbags Made in the USA

Where Are Louis Vuitton Wallets Made?

Because Louis Vuitton wallets consist of leather, they will produce them in France, Spain, and the United States. Feel and smell the wallet to ensure that it was made from real leather. Authentic wallets will usually exhibit a thicker quality in the materials than counterfeit ones.

Popular Related Article: Our Favorite American-Made Wallets

Does Louis Vuitton Make Its Bags or Sunglasses in Japan?

According to the official website, Louis Vuitton doesn’t make anything in Japan, and neither its bags nor sunglasses should come from Japan. If your sunglasses or bags say, “Made in Japan,” you may have a counterfeit product. Throughout Louis Vuitton’s history, the products were always made in either Europe or the US.

Many of the other companies will outsource the manufacturing through third-party factories, but Louis Vuitton utilizes solely in-house production.

Conclusion:

On the whole, Louis Vuitton makes for an awesome brand for those who want to support American-made luxury fashion. You need to watch what you buy with them, but you can coordinate with the sales representative to ensure that you buy products made in the US. If you have any further questions about where Louis Vuitton is made, let us know in the comments below. Also, let us know if you have any new information about the company’s manufacturing processes that we should add to this resource.