The Louis Vuitton Monogram was created in 1896 by Georges Vuitton as a tribute to his father and a shield against counterfeiters — a pattern of interlocking LV initials and stylised flowers, inspired by Neo-Gothic ornamentation and Japanese aesthetics. It was one of fashion’s earliest acts of brand defence. Georges didn’t invent it to be beautiful, exactly. He invented it to be unmistakeable…