The House Opens Its 2026 Vintage Car Journey From Venice To Monza And Unveils A Sabine Marcelis-Designed Trophy With A Bespoke Louis Vuitton Trunk
Louis Vuitton has launched the 2026 edition of its Dolomites Classic Run, bringing together 22 vintage automobiles for a four-day journey from Venice to Monza through the Dolomites.
Running from September 1 through September 4, the rally revives one of Louis Vuitton’s historic connections to automotive travel, combining driving with cultural and craft-focused stops across northern Italy. The event began at Villa Pisani in Stra before moving to Venice for the unveiling of the competition’s trophy and its custom Louis Vuitton Trophy Trunk.
The opening brought the participating cars to Villa Pisani, the 18th-century Venetian villa surrounded by nearly 14 hectares of gardens. The estate, which has hosted figures including Napoleon Bonaparte and members of the Habsburg family, opened to the public for the occasion following restoration work to the property and its gardens.
Louis Vuitton also used the event to extend its cultural preservation initiatives in the region, partnering with the Venetian Heritage Foundation to support restoration of Villa Pisani’s 18th-century Sala di Bacco. The project follows the House’s ongoing relationship with Venice’s Civic Museums, or MUVE, through which more than 200 artworks have been restored and returned to the city since 2013.
The rally also places an emphasis on Louis Vuitton’s manufacturing presence in the region. Its Fiesso d’Artico shoe workshop is located nearby in the Riviera del Brenta. Opened in 2009, the facility produces footwear using a process that can involve nearly 200 handcrafted operations.
The first day’s events concluded at Venice’s Palazzo Ducale, where Louis Vuitton unveiled the trophy for the 2026 rally. Designer Sabine Marcelis was commissioned to create the award, which was produced by Italian art-glass maker Venini.
The trophy was presented by Louis Vuitton Friend of the House Giulia Maenza in a bespoke trunk made at the company’s historic Asnières-sur-Seine workshops. The Monogram canvas trunk incorporates a “V” referencing both “Victory” and “Vuitton,” alongside traditional lozines, brass corners and locks.
The commission builds on Louis Vuitton’s longstanding practice of creating trophy trunks for major sporting competitions. Since 1988, the House has produced custom cases connected with events and awards including the FIFA World Cup, Ballon d’Or and Formula 1 Grand Prix de Monaco.
The unveiling was accompanied by a performance conceived and staged by Fabio Cherstich, which explored ideas of movement, heritage and artistic transformation while drawing connections between historic travel and contemporary creative expression.
Maenza attended the evening in a white mesh pleated dress with black 6am slingback pumps and Idylle Blossom High Jewelry. Actor Maurizio Lombardi wore a double-breasted tuxedo with an LV Monterey watch in yellow gold.
The Dolomites Classic Run continues through September 4, taking its field of 22 vintage cars from Venice through the Dolomites before concluding in Monza. Beyond the competition itself, the event brings together several areas of Louis Vuitton’s identity — travel, automobiles, craftsmanship, cultural preservation and trophy-trunk making — around the journey rather than treating the rally solely as a sporting event.