Apparently, and I’ve just read this in two separate online newspapers, Louis Vuitton was the only luggage to survive the sinking Titanic. LV’s waterproofing and seam sealing was so good that it sunk to the sea bottom, unopened and without damage to the contents. So, if a replica Louis Vuitton bag is meant to be perfect, do you think yours could survive this kind of thing?

The Titanic launched and sank in 1912, a year when Louis Vuitton bags were every bit as prestigious as they are now. While no one knows exactly how much LV luggage went down with the ship it’s clear that a ship carrying thousands of the wealthiest Europeans of the time would have a ton of it.

One man I read on an LV forum went so far as to identify three passengers who were confirmed to have packed Louis Vuitton: Charlotte Cardeza, Leontine Aubart and Marie Spencer. A lot of research has apparently been done about this kind of thing—mostly through insurance claims made after the sinking.

Was There Replica Louis Vuitton On Board?
You’d probably assume that there were no replica Louis Vuitton around in those days, (unless you’d read my LV article tracing the first replicas back to the very first year Monsieur Vuitton was in business.) While there probably weren’t replica Louis Vuitton purses as we know them, there were most certainly imitation Louis Vuitton suitcases and trunks, as about half the luggage designers in Europe in those days were making imitation Louis Vuitton.

I’m tempted to test a few of my Louis Vuitton replicas to see what kind of thing would happen if I sent them sinking into some icy seawater. If the seams and stitching are meant to be every bits as tough, and the canvas is exactly as the real thing…well it only stands to reason, right?

Trouble is, I only have replica Louis Vuitton handbags—no trunks, and I really don’t think the Griet or Papillon were meant to stand up to this kind of thing. Replica Louis Vuitton luggage of the vintage type is super rare, mostly because modern LV luggage is the duffle, or rolling suitcase style. I do have an LV suitcase. Maybe I should toss it off the Long Island Ferry and see what happens?

Whether or not my Louis Vuitton replica would have survived may just end up filed another of the many Titanic mysteries…