Louis Vuitton Turned Formula 1's Trophy Trunks Into Design Objects

The most talked-about design object at this year’s Monaco Grand Prix is not found on the circuit. It waits at the finish line. Louis Vuitton’s bespoke Trophy Trunks have become a fixture of Formula 1’s victory ceremonies, transforming what was once a practical presentation case into something hand-stitched in the house’s Asnières atelier, built to the exact dimensions of its respective race trophy, and finished with circuit-specific details that make each a one-of-one.

Every trunk passes through the hands of up to 25 skilled artisans, emerging with Monogram canvas, brass-trimmed corners, and a hand-painted “V” that references both Vuitton and victory. The recently unveiled design for the Formula 1 Lenovo Grand Prix du Canada 2026 incorporated Damier motifs drawn from the checkered flag and red accents pulled from the Canadian flag.

Monaco, however, is where the partnership feels most at home. Between 2021 and 2024, Louis Vuitton had a race-specific arrangement with the Automobile Club de Monaco for the Grand Prix de Monaco’s trophy trunk. Last year, with LVMH’s overarching F1 partnership, Louis Vuitton started crafting trunks for every grand prix.

The connection between Louis Vuitton and Formula 1 runs deeper than sponsorship. In motorsport, success is measured in fractions of a second. In Asnières, it is measured in millimeters. Pietro Beccari, Chairman and CEO of Louis Vuitton, has described the partnership as a meeting of “artisans and engineers,” two worlds that share more process than they might appear.

Long before the formation of Formula 1, Louis Vuitton was designing trunks for the emerging automobile age. Under Georges Vuitton in the late nineteenth century, the house developed durable luggage built specifically for motor travel, establishing a relationship with automotive culture that has never really ended.

Timing—and visibility—lend weight to the trunks. Before a driver lifts a trophy, the trunk is what a global television audience sees first. In a sport increasingly shaped by fashion, image, and cultural capital, Louis Vuitton has made the moment before the trophy lift as compelling as the lift itself.