Louis Vuitton vs Louboutin: What’s the Difference?
Looking to add some luxury bags and shoes to your collection? If so, know the difference between Louis Vuitton vs Louboutin first.
When it comes to luxury fashion, there are some big names that come to mind – Louis Vuitton and Christian Louboutin among others. And although these luxury brands are well-known across the world, there are still some people who get these two mixed up.
So what really is the difference between Louis Vuitton vs Louboutin? In this article post, we will be discussing the histories and the difference between these two well-loved French fashion houses.
Louis Vuitton and Louboutin are two brands that you’ll see on the streets of any major city most especially during fashion week.
They’re both known for their iconic products, but they have different reputations. Louis Vuitton is more well-known for its designer bags while Louboutin is a luxury brand catering to high-end footwear.
Louis Vuitton vs Louboutin
The History of Louis Vuitton
Often stylized as LV, Louis Vuitton is a French fashion house and luxury brand that was founded in 1854. It’s one of the world’s leading international luxury fashion houses.
Louis Vuitton has an established organization with over 460 stores worldwide. They are known for their classic bags that earned them a name among the top luxury brands around the world. Louis Vuitton sells its products through standalone boutiques, luxury department stores like Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, and others, as well as through their website.
The LV brand is among the world’s most valuable brands. For six consecutive years, they held the top spot for the 10 most powerful brands with an estimated value of $24.3 billion.
The History of Christian Louboutin
Louboutin, named after French fashion designer Christian Louboutin, is a relatively young brand as it entered the fashion market in 1991.
It is said that Louboutin is the reason that stilettos became popular in the 90s, so it’s perhaps not surprising that many of the brand’s best-selling high heels are still 4 inches or higher. All Christian Louboutin shoes have a red sole, making them instantly recognizable, and now most Louboutin bags feature a red lining to reference this famous aspect of the Louboutin brand.
To combat counterfeiting, Louboutin sells its legitimate products in-store and through other high-end retailers. Louboutin’s own website sells some of its products online, as do many other well-known luxury resellers like Net A Porter, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and others.
Louis Vuitton vs Louboutin: The Main Differences
1. Most Popular Products
While Louis Vuitton has a wide range of luxury products from footwear to clothes, they’re very well known for their elegant handbags and leather goods.
The most iconic collection would be the Louis Vuitton Monogram bags, which are coated canvas bags with leather trim, decorated with the iconic LV monogram pattern all over the product. This incredible LV monogram is one reason why Louis Vuitton bags are so popular.
While Louis Vuitton is known for its handbags, the Louboutin brand is synonymous with red bottom shoes. While Louboutin creates many different shoe styles, some more elegant and some more edgy with spikes adorning the shoe, all of the brand’s designs have signature red bottoms.
2. Company Size
Louis Vuitton is part of the most valuable luxury company in the world, LVMH. As a household name, it’s not surprising to read that the brand boasted revenues of €20 billion in 2022, while its parent company made €79.2 billion.
Louboutin doesn’t have nearly the same market share as Louis Vuitton; its revenue came close to an estimated €700 million in 2022 according to Growjo.
3. Other Product Offerings
Another major difference between these two brands is the products they have on offer. Louis Vuitton is a major fashion house and so releases a ready-to-wear collection for both men and women, a range of shoes, handbags, and accessories each season. Louis Vuitton is also somewhat known for its perfumes and luxury home decor – there’s not much you can’t find in this luxury brand’s catalog!
On the contrary, Louboutin makes an estimated 95% of its revenue from its shoes. With this said, the brand has placed a bigger emphasis on expansion in the last few years; it’s ventured into other areas of fashion and beauty, launching its beauty line in 2012, and introducing more and more designer bags to its collection. The handbags are constantly among Neiman Marcus‘s list of best-selling bags, which is a promising sign for the brand!
4. Price Differences
When it comes to pricing, both brands are relatively expensive, but Louis Vuitton is definitely the more expensive one with more prestige.
The most popular Louis Vuitton handbags range between $1,750 and $5,250, while the bags on offer from Louboutin typically retail for around $1,000-$2,000.
If you are looking at shoes, Louis Vuitton shoes retail for between $1,090 and $2,490, while Louboutin’s most popular styles in simple colors typically retail for around $800-$1,000. With this said, if you are looking at limited edition shoes and exotic designs, you can find much more expensive shoes as well, sometimes fetching more than $3,000 – see our list of the 15 most expensive Christian Louboutin heels for more!
Conclusion
In conclusion, Louboutin and Louis Vuitton are two completely different brands with an entirely different aesthetic. While Louis Vuitton is best known for its leather goods and iconic logo, Louboutin is primarily a shoe brand, best known for its red soles.
We hope you found this article helpful! Time to grab your shopping bag, and add a few of these luxury goods to your closet!
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