07/10/2025
Louis Vuitton is a brand name we have all heard of. Founded in 1854 and famous for its luxurious bags, accessories, and clothing, August 2025 saw the brand expand further. Louis Vuitton has entered the beauty industry with the launch of eyeshadow pallets, lip balms, and 55 lipstick shades (referencing the numeric value of LV).
It is not uncommon for luxury brands to expand into new areas. We have seen this with the likes of Armani, Dior, and Gucci, to name a few. And it is not just fashion houses; luxury car companies move into real estate and interior design collections.
In addition to the cosmetics themselves, Louis Vuitton has also released a new collection of leather goods aimed at makeup storage and travel. It has been reported that Dame Pat McGrath, beauty creative director, drew inspiration from the brand’s archives when creating this collection.
This poses a great opportunity for us to look back at the brand’s history, the protection of their longstanding image and archived collections, as well as the measures they are taking today to protect their new ventures.
The earliest still-live UK registration for the house mark LOUIS VUITTON, owned by Louis Vuitton Malletier, dates back to 1977. In addition to the protection of the house name, Louis Vuitton Malletier owns UK trade mark registrations protecting their monogram pattern logo , dating back to 1983, and for their LV monogram
, dating back to 1987. The branding, protected decades ago, has remained a core brand identifier to this day.
Filing protection in the class covering cosmetics (class 3) is not a new trend for Louis Vuitton Malletier. This is because, although they hadn’t previously released a dedicated beauty collection, they have offered products in this category before, including perfumes. As would be expected, given Louis Vuitton Malletier’s proactive approach to intellectual property protection, there had been an influx of filings in Class 3 in the 6 months running up to the launch of their new collection. Such registrations cover the names of the collections, for example, “LV OMBRES”, “LV BAUME”, and “LV ROUGE”, in addition to possible product names.
Having trade mark registrations within their portfolio, dating back decades, will have provided Louis Vuitton Malletier with the means to prevent third-parties from unauthorised use of their marks or marks similar, hence ensuring that their position in the market place in which they operate is secure. Such trade mark protection will also offer the brand protection in additional marketplaces as a result of the reputation that the trade marks have accrued.
The continuity in branding that Louis Vuitton has maintained will have undoubtedly made it easier for Dame Pat McGrath to draw inspiration from the brand’s archives when creating the new collection. This is because the trade marks used in archived collections maintain their high level of consumer recognition and trust to this day.
The iconic LV logo, with registered protection in the UK dating back at least 35 years, can be seen on the packaging of the new beauty products, as well as indented in the products themselves. This not only adds to the luxurious feel of the new beauty products, but it also demonstrates how important protecting the branding is to Louis Vuitton Malletier; it is clear that consumers rely so heavily on it to identify product origin and feel connected to the brand.
As we have mentioned in previous blogs relating to Labubu and brand infringement on social media, it is increasingly common for third parties seeking to copy brands to use similar / identical product get-ups or logos, rather than directly reproduce the brand name itself. It can be harder for social media platforms and automatic takedown software to identify infringement that doesn’t use the brand name within the post and relies on other visual clues. As most social media platforms require proof of registered rights in order for a party to start an infringement claim, having registered trade mark protection over brand and product names may not always be enough.
As mentioned above, Louis Vuitton Malletier does have trade mark registrations covering their logos and additional branding elements. In addition to this, they also have hundreds of registered designs. Alongside registered design protection for fashion items including bags and trainers, Louis Vuitton Malletier has registered several designs protecting the get-up of their new beauty products. Having this registered protection will provide them with further means for identifying and dealing with third parties seeking to copy their products, even if there is no direct reference to the brand name itself. It will be interesting to see how far reputable brands such as Louis Vuitton expand. Will they maintain their branding and enter an entirely unconnected industry? Having built such high levels of reputation in their trade marks, is there an industry they could now enter where consumers wouldn’t recognise the brand?
This article is for general information only. Its content is not a statement of the law on any subject and does not constitute advice. Please contact Reddie & Grose LLP for advice before taking any action in reliance on it.
