Brass hat trunk — the glow of old-fashioned travel

There are trunks that are discreet. And then there are those that immediately catch the light.

This trunk with a hat dressed in brass belongs without hesitation to the second category. With its large gilded surfaces, copper-hued borders and abundance of rivets and clasps, it evokes the golden age of large suitcases and those luggage that were once designed as much to withstand travel as to assert a certain elegance. Its silhouette deliberately over emphasizes the material: the brass becomes here almost architectural.

Depending on the light, it shifts from a luminous gold to warmer reflections, while riveted bands highlight each edge of the mesh.

Metal corners, side handles and the imposing central clasp reinforce this impression of solidity and recall the technical vocabulary of vintage travel luggage.

Once open, the contrast is arresting.

On the outside, the metal, the rivets and the asserted character of a traveling mesh; inside, a much more delicate universe, with a clear trim and a lid cap, which give it almost the allure of a mirror.

A creation in the minds of the great trunk makers. This mesh is not presented as a Louis Vuitton manufacture. It instead fits into the aesthetic and tradition of the great French travel fashions, of which Louis Vuitton was one of the major players. In the 19th century, the development of the railway and then new means of transportation profoundly transformed the network. Flat-top models are particularly suitable for stacking and transportation.

The historical catalogs of Louis Vuitton furthermore insist on the pursuit of solidity, lightness and the importance of reinforcements, locks and protective elements in the manufacture of trunks. The hat trunks also fully belongs to this travel story. A manufacturing catalog dated 1890 already distinguishes several models of "hats", with different types of reinforcements, corners and locks: proof that the transport of the hat was then a real specialty of the trunk-maker trade.

Today, a real furniture-object

Diverted from its primary function, this mesh becomes a particularly strong decorative piece. It can find its place as a sofa end, small nightstand, storage chest, bedroom furniture or centerpiece in a dresser. In a contemporary interior, brass immediately brings light; paired with aged wood, leather or more raw materials, it creates a particularly successful contrast. And that is undoubtedly all its charm: to retain the allure of a luggage intended to leave, while becoming today an object that one wants to keep close to oneself. A unique, decorative and luminous fabric, inspired by the great French tradition of travel.