Diana Vreeland’s LV Luggage

When it comes to luggage, monogramming was born of a time when the upper classes travelled the world on huge voyages, their swathes of luggage trailing behind them, all of which needed differentiating from the next family’s belongings. Whether the leather trunks and cases loaded by the dozens onto steamers and locomotives were marked by initials or coats of arms, the intention behind the labels they carried was based more in the practical than the fashionable. By the mid 19^th Century, however, what and how you monogrammed had become less of a necessity and much more of a style statement. Just look at the Duchess of Windsor arriving in Miami in the 1950’s, her personalised luggage by her side, as proof of the power of the personal. Like her husband, she commissioned the French maison Goyard to create her travelling set. Fast forward a couple of dec

ades and you have Diana Vreeland and her famous Vuitton cases, Liz Taylor and hers (she also liked to fix a lilac tag labelled, ‘Mine!’ onto them as well) and Joan Collins as seen in this image above whilst The Queen, ever one to stand out on her own in the style stakes, has gone for a no less powerful but more direct approach, embossing her Globetrotter vanity with her full name. What all of these approaches have in common – be they grand as Collins’ Vuittons or as grounded as the Queen’s Globetrotter – is a desire to be distinctive. Better still, they celebrate an approach to fashion that is about forever pieces that reflect one’s own personality in no uncertain terms – and, as creators of bags with just this in mind, we love this.

The Duchess of Windsor, Miami, 1950’s

The Duchess of Windsor’s Goyard luggage

The Queen’s Globetrotter Vanity

Beyond luggage, gentlemen have historically had more options than women for monogramming. Fred Astaire liked to emboss his initials on his shirt sleeves, whilst Elvis wore his on his pyjamas (black silk, white piping,) and the Duke of Windsor and countless royals before and since have opted for velvet monogrammed slippers. Now, however, we too are more likely to join in the fun. Look at Olivia von Halle’s beautiful silk pyjamas and her monogramming service, at the fashionability of an initialled Smythson leather diary or to T Anthony’s monogrammed cases (which, we once heard, was the most upgraded luggage in the world,) and the beauty of personlization seems suddenly rather close at hand.

Olivia von Halle’s Silk Pyjamas

Smythson monogram diary 

At KOTUR, we are very proud to announce the launch our own monogramming service.

Available on our Espey minaudière in black satin, our #getsmartbag for iPhone 6 and our Peter Pouch. For what could be more luxurious than a bag that is truly, unmistakably and extremely personally yours?