All packed and ready to go

IF ANYONE should know how to pack a case, it’s Louis Vuitton, the brand that has been making luggage an art for more than 160 years. With the travelling elite of yesteryear not enjoying the access to automated dry cleaning and pressing services we have today, neat and crease-free packing was essential but even jeans and tees deserve similar respect as demonstrated in the recent “Louis Vuitton Art of Packing” event held at the St. Regis Bangkok, appropriately of the few city hotels to provide packing and unpacking services for its guests. 

The event also presented the evolution of luggage from the rigid trunks and cases used a century ago to an entirely new form of luggage – soft bags.

Louis Vuitton started his career as an apprentice trunk-maker and packer. He made boxes and sub-boxes to protect and keep the personal belongings of the semi-nomadic French Court, carefully wrapping them up to make then easy to unpack. In 1853, he received the ultimate honour, becoming the favourite specialist of Empress Eugenie. Where royalty led, fashionable society followed, and so, a year later Vuitton took the momentous decision to establish his own company. 

Three of Louis Vuitton’s most famous bags were highlighted during the recent event.

Expert packers showed how to arrange shoes at the bottom and the top of the medium-sized Pegase cabin case, separating the pairs by inserting light shoetrees and putting on protective covers. Between them were placed the Louis Vuitton City Guide boxed set, a toilet bag and a shoe care kit with the empty spaces packed with underwear, socks and gloves. 

Shirts and polo shirts were stacked top to toe and intertwined with collars raised and with every other button done up on the wheeled side with rolled t-shirts and sweaters placed on top. Jeans were next into the case followed by a jacket folded in two across the height with the collar visible and the sleeves folded in the back. Finally a suit in its cover was folded in three over itself and attached to the flap of the Pegase.

Next up was the Monogram canvas “Keepall”, which the expert quickly filled it with a pair of jeans, one dress, two light jumpers, one cardigan, underwear, socks, two pairs of trainers, two pairs of shoes, two belts, a toilet bag, a cosmetics bag, a jewellery bag and a watch case. 

 

 

The jeans were folded three times and placed at the bottom of the bag and the shoes (separated with light shoetree inserts and in protective covers put on) placed between the jeans on each side of the bag. The middle space became home to a toilet bag, cosmetics bag and jewellery bag, with the spaces in between filled with underwear, socks and a rolled belt. Rolled up jumpers, cardigan and the dress followed.

The sturdy Alzer suitcase, an emblem of Louis Vuitton, comes with reinforced locks, a storage box and restraint straps and simply cries out to be filled with beautiful clothing. Again the expert packer showed how a raincoat, dress, skirt, pair of trousers along with a cardigan, two blouses, one shawl, underwear, stockings, socks, heels and flats plus important accessories could be stacked in the case and emerge at 

 destination with nary a crease.

He placed the heaviest objects – in this case, a toilet bag, jewellery case and cosmetics bag – at the bottom of the bottom of the suitcase, opposite the handle. Next came the shoes, separated, stuffed with silk paper and covered, along with underwear, stockings, socks and the belt rolled up on itself.

These were covered with the raincoat, open, with collar raised, the trousers, folded flat with waist and legs protruding, and the blouses top to toe and intertwined, collars raised. The waist and legs of the pants were them folded over followed by the sides and sleeves of the raincoat, thus protecting the most delicate items.

The dress was laid flat in the separate compartment with the bottom hanging over the edge. The skirt, folded in two, was added and the dress folded up against it. The empty spaces were filled with the rolled cardigan and the remaining accessories with the shawl covering the top.

No matter your suitcase size, try these tips when packing at home. You’ll be amazed at the difference.