A glimpse into the history of a French fashion icon is offered by the Louis Vuitton Time Capsule, making its world debut at an exhibition at Statue Square Gardens in Central, Hong Kong.

Open until May 14, the capsule tells the journey of Louis Vuitton through a curated selection of objects and documents from its archive.

Founded as Louis Vuitton Malletier in Paris in 1854 by Louis Vuitton, the company originally produced trunks for travel, which in those days involved steam ships. Now the LV monogram can be found on such products as leather goods, ready-to-wear fashion, shoes, watches, jewellery, accessories, sunglasses, books and, of course, luxury trunks.

Hong Kong, marking the 20th year since its return to China from British rule, hosts the first global appearance of the time capsule. It is also the silver jubilee of Hong Kong’s Le French May Arts Festival.

In the capsule, French artisans demonstrate traditional leatherwork skills, and there is a visual timeline of landmark moments in the Louis Vuitton story.

Specially curated works by Hong Kong artists are also on display at the exhibition. Admission is free.