Louis Vuitton Just Designed the Most Glamorous Trophy Case for the Monaco Grand Prix

French fashion house Louis Vuitton is continuing its involvement in the sporting world with a collaboration with this year’s Monaco Grand Prix.

The designer brand will create a bespoke travel case for the winner of the 2021 Monaco F1 Grand Prix, which is due to be held later this week after a year hiatus due to the pandemic.

The announcement came at the beginning of the month, confirming that the luxury house had signed a multi-year agreement with the Automobile Club de Monaco, which organises the high-profile F1 event.

This partnership follows Louis Vuitton’s collaboration with another sporting body, the NBA, a three-year agreement overseen by the brand’s artistic director Virgil Abloh.

With a Louis Vuitton x NBA capsule collection that was part of the fashion house’s Spring/Summer 2021 Pre-Collection, the first official collab piece was the custom-made trophy travel case designed to house the Larry O'Brien trophy and presented to the Los Angeles Lakers, the 2020 NBA champions.

Inspired by Louis Vuitton’s history as a malletier, the travel case resembles a suitcase and featured the label’s famous monogram printed on canvas with brass hardware, combined with the NBA logo’s colours of white, red and blue.

For the Monaco Grand Prix—which is generally accepted to be the most glamorous event on the F1 circuit—similar design features were applied.

The trunk, which was handmade in Louis Vuitton’s Paris-based workshop, is covered in a canvas printed with the iconic motif realised in the shade of red that adorns Monaco’s flag.

On the front, the V for victory is painted in the same red and white stripes, and the brass hardware evokes images of old-fashioned luggage, a nod to the brand’s history.

The trophy itself represents the shape of the race track, which is considered one of the most challenging of the sport. Drivers whizz through the streets of Monaco, steep slopes, hairpin turns and a dicey tunnel. The race has been won by some of the sport’s biggest names, including German icon Michael Schumacher and American celebrity driver Lewis Hamilton.

“At almost 300 km/h between the rails, it’s the Formula One Grand Prix that all drivers aspire to win one day. Today, we are proud to be associated with the championship and to start writing together a piece of history,” said Michael Burke, Louis Vuitton chairman and chief executive officer.

“The trophy trunk epitomizes ‘Victory travels in Louis Vuitton’—witnessing the next victories and continuing to carry legends.”

Other notable Louis Vuitton collaborations with the prestigious world of sports include custom trophy carry cases for yacht race the America’s Cup, football’s FIFA World Cup, the Rugby World Cup and the Roland-Garros tennis tournament, and sponsorships of several major tournaments across various sporting codes.

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