An iconic piece of fashion history is coming back. The Louis Vuitton Secretaire Stokowski folding desk was originally designed for the orchestra conductor Leopold Stokowski to accompany him on his many travels for work. Over the years, its smart and unique trunk design has given the object legendary status.
The first edition was made in July 1929 with re-editions appearing in the 1940’s, the 1990’s, and now again in 2023. Covered in the classic monogram canvas, the trunk’s concept has mostly remained the same, folding out into a secretary desk with collapsing wood legs, shelves, a space to fit a typewriter, and a workspace.
The older editions of Louis Vuitton’s Secretaire Stokowski feature customized hardware, jacquard fabric, leather, and impressive woodwork while the newer versions favor lighter materials and a subtly simpler design and a fold-up stool.
This 1940’s version recently sold on Pushkin Antiques for €52,441.80.
Louis Vuitton was a master of trunk-making and in the 19th century designed several trunk concepts for notable figures including the Bed Trunk with a folding cot for explorer Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza, the Library Trunk for the Encyclopedia Britannica for delivery of their 29th-volume, and the Shoes Trunk which held the precious (and vast) shoe collection of American Opera star Lily Pons.
AN ORIGINAL SKETCH OF THE LOUIS VUITTON SECRETAIRE STOKOWSKI TRUNK
Is the Louis Vuitton’s Secretaire Stokowski trunk a writer's dream or simply a showpiece? Who’s to say if this once innovative trunk design is still a comfortable luxury today, or if it’s simply a vanity purchase. In any case, the prices for a vintage Stokowski trunk vary according to rarity and will generally be lower than buying new.
