Louis Vuitton's beauty brand has officially launched

Louis Vuitton’s move into luxury beauty has been widely anticipated after five years in the making. For fashion houses of such scale, beauty is often a natural extension, offering both a new revenue stream and a way to expand brand reach. With La Beauté, the company is extending its core themes of travel, craftsmanship and design into the cosmetics market.

The cosmetics industry isn’t small. Estimates place the global makeup market’s worth at 43.6 billion dollars in 2024, with projections aiming for nearly 46 billion dollars by end of 2025, according to Fortune Business Insights. In the wider cosmetics arena, forecasts see value climbing even more sharply, from approximately 424.7 billion dollars in 2024 to 760.6 billion by dollars in 2034, says Precedence Research. These figures underline why this pivot matters: beauty is enormous, and its luxury tier is where fashion houses can both matter and prosper.

The collection launches under the creative direction of Dame Pat McGrath, DBE, one of the industry’s most influential figures. Her appointment underscores Vuitton’s ambition to compete seriously in the sector. The debut line includes 55 lipstick shades, a reference to the Roman numerals in the brand’s LV monogram.

At first glance the collection, in addition to lipsticks, features balms and eyeshadows, looks similar to other luxury beauty product launches. On closer inspection, the packaging reflects Louis Vuitton’s design heritage, with cases conceived as collectible objects, trunks and detailed finishes that reference the house’s codes.

The launch illustrates a shift in how beauty is positioned. It is less about impulse purchases and more about embedding cosmetics into lifestyle and identity. The collection links back to Vuitton’s long-standing focus on craftsmanship, while also speaking to a younger demographic accustomed to expressing themselves through Instagram and TikTok.

Competition, however, is intense. Prada, Hermès, Valentino and Gucci have all introduced beauty lines in recent years, and others are expected to follow. Distinction will depend on how convincingly each house translates brand heritage into products. Vuitton’s advantage lies in its reputation for craftsmanship and its global visibility across fashion and leather goods. It also has an enviable advertising budget.

Beauty consumers have also become more selective. They increasingly value storytelling, quality and meaning as much as the product itself. Pat McGrath’s appointment is significant not only because of her influence in the industry, but because she understands how beauty can merge artistry and identity. If the products meet expectations on both performance and design, the collection will surely gain traction.