Louis Vuitton makes custom trunks for Paris Games flames, medals

PARIS: The Olympic and Paralympic flames will each travel in a custom-made Louis Vuitton trunk this summer thanks to a sponsorship deal with the brand’s owner LVMHLVMH.PA.

Louis Vuitton has also made trunks for the medals which open up into prominent display cases, with dozens of drawers, each holding three medals. The world’s largest luxury label -- known for flower-shaped monograms and checkered totebags -- unveiled the trunks on Wednesday in the workshops where they were made just outside Paris.

Louis Vuitton has been making trophy trunks since 1988, raising the visibility of the French brand by tying it to popular sports events, like last year’s Rugby World Cup held in France. As part of its 150 million-euro sponsorship deal with the Paris Olympics, several LVMH brands are involved in the Games, including the Place Vendome jeweler Chaumet, which designed the medals and the upscale menswear label Berluti, designer of the uniforms for the French teams. The Olympics kick off on July 26, followed by the Paralympics on Aug. 28 with opening ceremonies watched by millions of people across the world.