Louis Vuitton Heritage Converts Decline Into Sustained Leadership.
Despite a –14% brand value drop, heritage and pricing power keep Vuitton No.1 in luxury.
Heritage as Shield in a Contracting Market
LVMH’s first half 2025 results underscore the luxury slowdown: €39.8 billion revenue, down 4% year-on-year, with Fashion & Leather Goods revenue down 8% in H1 and 9% in Q2 (LVMH; Fashion Dive).
Against this backdrop, Louis Vuitton remains the leading luxury brand worldwide, though not immune to pressure. Kantar’s BrandZ 2025 values Louis Vuitton at US$111.9 billion, a –14% decline from 2024 (Merca20).
The contraction shows cyclical sensitivity, but the scale confirms that heritage sustains leadership even as conditions tighten.
Deploying Heritage as a Growth System
Louis Vuitton’s differentiation lies in how it operationalizes heritage. Codes from trunks and travel are not static museum pieces but active growth assets. In March 2025, Vuitton formalized its entry into beauty with Pat McGrath, launching refillable lipsticks and palettes designed to carry maison codes into a new category (Reuters).
In parallel, the maison expands watchmaking at La Fabrique du Temps, producing technically ambitious limited editions that extend credibility into horology (Vogue Business).
Each move multiplies touchpoints, reinforcing brand equity rather than diluting it.
Why Leadership Holds Amid Decline
The data presents a paradox: sales down, brand value down, yet Louis Vuitton still leads luxury rankings. The explanation is heritage. It underwrites pricing power that resists promotional erosion, sustains loyalty among top-tier clients, and provides cultural continuity that maintains desirability even in downturns.
While newer competitors rely on tactical spikes, Vuitton’s long-term codes keep it at the top of consumer consideration. That is why a –14% brand value decline still leaves Louis Vuitton at US$111.9 billion, ahead of peers.
Bottom Line
Heritage is not an ornament for Louis Vuitton, it is a strategic asset that delivers resilience.
Despite –14% brand value decline and –9% revenue drop in Q2 2025, Vuitton sustains leadership by converting cultural legacy into pricing power, loyalty, and credible category expansion.
This is how the maison turns decline into durability and ensures its long-term growth trajectory remains intact.
