Prestige Singapore dropped into the Australian Open back in January to check out Louis Vuitton’s latest trophy trunks…and caught the making of tennis history. Here, a closer look at the savoir faire of the trunk – and the objet sportifs from the Louis Vuitton universe to know.
It was the third set of the men’s final at the Australian Open in late January, and 22-year old Jannik Sinner was hanging on by the skin of his teeth. The crowd was prepared for his opponent, Russian defending champion Daniil Medvedev, who was up four games in the set, to sweep the young Italian from the court. Many were resigned to the possibility that this match would be yet another walkover like that of the women’s finals the day before, when Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka finished her Chinese opponent Zheng Qinwen in a little over an hour.
This evening, Sinner was a few smashes away from crushing defeat. Yet he hung on, clawing his way back to claim a fourth, then fifth set, until he upended expectations of his early demise to triumph – gloriously – after close to four hours of play.
Determination. Resilience. Patience. Mental will. The first Italian man to win a Grand Slam singles title in nearly 50 years deserved the standing ovation from the crowd. Here was someone who destroyed every softie criticism levelled at his generation.
Before the match, when the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup, the name of the men’s singles trophy, was taken out of its customised Louis Vuitton casing and presented to a packed stadium, it seemed like a heavy crown, laden with the weight of champions who had lifted it before. Sinner demonstrated he was worthy of the honour.
Moreover, this was the first year Louis Vuitton had designed the Official Trophy Trunks for the tournament’s singles prizes, thus giving the awards extra pizzazz in their presentation. Previously transported in crates, the cups are now encased in travel cases whose two front panels are emblazoned, in typical Louis Vuitton trophy trunk style, with a “V” on the maison’s signature monogram canvas. “V” for Victory…and Vuitton, of course. Thus was the stage set, making the eventual wins by Sinner as well as Sabalenka ever the sweeter.
If the packaging is the message, the French luxury fashion powerhouse has long lent glamour to some of the world’s most celebrated sporting trophies.
The Australian Open’s cases join those of the FIFA World Cup, Ballon d’Or, Rugby World Cup, NBA Championship and Formula One’s Grand Prix de Monaco in addition to tennis’ French Open and Davis Cup.
Setting them apart from other trophy trunks is their blue microfibre lining that echoes the colour palette of the Melbourne Grand Slam and the tournament’s logo of “AO” on the bottom of the lid.
The day before, we beheld the range and variety of Louis Vuitton’s trunks at its Savoir Rever showcase staged in an Italianate mansion in the city’s Hawthorn district.
Spanning over 3,500sqm and boasting a tennis lawn, a swimming pool, and gardens, the estate is a spectacular setting to exhibit the maison’s art of living as well as its Objet Nomades line of travel-inspired items. Spread over two floors in the 19th century home and spilling out to the veranda are stunningly designed lifestyle wares, furniture and travel trunks, often produced in collaboration with the world’s most revered names.
Among the highlights were Marc Newson’s playful yet functional Cabinet of Curiosities, launched last year, featuring removable leather cubes within a monogrammed hardcase; the sculptural Merengue pouffe and wave-like Bomboca Sofa GM by the Campana Brothers; and the Swing Chair by Patricia Urquiola.
The bespoke trunks of All Blacks captain Dan Carter and tennis star Carlos Alcaraz were also on display. Alcaraz’s Malle Vestiaire, introduced in January, holds memorabilia from his successful playing career and personal Louis Vuitton items such as the Speedy P9 Bag, a gift from Louis Vuitton Men creator director Pharrell Williams.
Alcaraz, the current world number two, was not around to see the tennis fan among us scrutinising the Nike shirt and shoes he wore when he won Wimbledon in 2023. But Carter’s visit coincided with ours. Can the rugby great cross over to tennis? We turned on the ball machine. Carter stepped up to the court and swung, and again, his fine form putting all doubts to rest.
5 Objet Sportifs from Louis Vuitton To Know
Babyfoot Foosball Table: Louis Vuitton’s foosball table pays homage to the maison’s heritage while nodding to fellow Frenchman Lucien Rosengart, who supposedly invented babyfoot – a version of table soccer – in the 1930s to entertain his grandkids. Note the tiny football players hand-painted to resemble the “Groom”, a character from the house’s 1921 advertising images, along with other brand hallmarks like the LV monogram and judicious use of Epi leather throughout the beechwood table.
Malle Golf: Louis Vuitton reimagines its classic “Wardrobe” for the globetrotting golf enthusiast, pairing a classic monogram print and ritzy gold-tinged detailing with all the golf gear you’ll ever need. Aside from a cavernous compartment to store 14 golf clubs, the trunk also comes with a full set of drawers, a dedicated see-through compartment for golf balls, and a roll-out putting mat to practise your stroke anytime, anywhere.
Billiard Table: Together with the release of the foosball table in 2020, Louis Vuitton’s monogrammed billiard table signalled a new direction for the brand’s gaming-themed releases. The house was no longer con ning its made-toorder games collections to pastimes that could t within the con nes of a single trunk. Instead, it would now release full-sized ttings, including a billiard table clad in beige leather bearing hand-dyed, leather suitcasestyle corners – a nod to the brand’s trunks – and hand-pressed metallic studs. Balls, cues and a triangle, all engraved with LV’s signatures, complete the set.
Skateboard Damoflage: Last year, American hip-hop multihyphenate Pharrell Williams presented a subversive take on Louis Vuitton’s heritage Damier pattern, remixing it with camou age at his debut presentation as its creative director of menswear. The result? Damou age, now represented across the Men’s Spring/ Summer 2024 Collection in everything from tailored garments to street-ready sports gear – this maple wood skateboard included. Its damo-printed underside is paired with Louis Vuitton-signed wheels on gold-tinted trucks and an LV Lovers logo on the deck.
Ping Pong Table: A statement piece for the home recreation room that’s unabashedly proud of its ultra-luxe provenance. Players serve a Louis Vuitton-branded ball across a perforated leather net bearing the brand’s coat-of-arms, bouncing it o a playing surface stamped by default with the brand’s heritage stripes and initials – though it is personalisable. High-quality Epi leather – the same textured material used for many of Louis Vuitton’s bags – adorns the table’s sides, leading on to gilded metallic nishes, drawers and straps for the paddles and balls, and adjustable beechwood legs.
(Images: Louis Vuitton)
Most Popular
You might also like
A rare exhibition for revolutionary sculptor Brancusi opens in Paris this month
The exclusive invite-only Range Rover House finally arrives in Singapore
