All packed and ready to go

"My challenge is not just to develop the right visual support for what the curator has chosen to present but also to help him develop and transmit his ideas."

After this section, visitors can see a room for "writing and music" with secretary trunks, writing desks and library trunks customized for such writers as Francoise Sagan and Ernest Hemingway.

"Louis Vuitton (the brand) accompanied those for whom writing was a necessity and a pleasure, before any means of modern telecommunication existed," Carsen adds.

Since the founding of the company, exacting customers have been able to place special orders to fulfill their personal purposes and dreams. It seems there is no fantasy that cannot be packed into something. Fragile musical instruments are probably some of the most difficult items to pack. Whether a violin, a guitar or a conductor's baton, cases were expertly designed by Louis Vuitton to safeguard the instruments.

The Shanghai exhibition has added a special section that tells the story of the brand in China.

In 1907, Louis Vuitton was a partner in the first Beijing-Paris automobile rally, with the company's trunks and luggage serving as a natural partner for adventure. A year later, the French philanthropist Albert Kahn began an epic journey to photograph global cultures, stopping in China to capture many images. He commissioned a special trunk from Louis Vuitton for his equipment, which will be presented at the Shanghai exhibition.

In 1931, Louis Vuitton provided trunks for a rally across Asia, from the Mediterranean to Beijing. Over 100 trunks were created to suit aspects of this extreme journey, including a version of the famous "automobile trunk" launched a year before, which will be featured in Shanghai.

For the show, Louis Vuitton has commissioned Chinese artists Xu Bing and Ding Yi to create two trunks to highlight the links between the fashion house and Chinese culture.

Xu's trunk design has Chinese calligraphy-his signature style-and includes the English translation of contemporary Chinese poet Zhai Yongming's poem, In Ancient Times. Zhai gave Xu the poem as a gift some 14 years ago when Xu was traveling.

Xu says he accepted the work because he feels the fashion house has "a sense of romance", and it pursues quality while creating products and is mindful of social trends and tastes.

"That's also what I try to pursue," says Xu.

Ding's design is a cocktail-and-cigar trunk that also features his signature patterns. He followed personal interests while creating it.

"I love traveling and cigars, and I enjoyed designing a trunk that can pack cigars while traveling."

Contact the writer at chenjie@chinadaily.com.cn