By Socratis Santik Oglou,
Because of the numerous successful artist collaborations it has fostered throughout the years, Louis Vuitton has developed a reputation for doing so. However, their most recent partnership has experienced a viral moment as a result of works by Yayoi Kusama, the artist who collaborated, appearing unexpectedly close to Louis Vuitton stores. Yayoi Kusama’s hypnotic spotted surfaces, tentacles and spot–covered anomalies have a lot in common with Louis Vuitton, the go–to brand for luxury lovers when viewed through the prism of creativity.
These anomalies include unusually large pumpkins that are covered in spots, as well as spots on surfaces. These two powerful entities may appear poles apart at first glance; one covers its luggage in a symbolic four-pointed star and a flower with four petals, while the other does so with polka dots. The intention behind each of these artistic achievements, however, has always been to produce something with an infinitely large essence.
An ideology deeply engrained in the nation’s underground cultures, Kusama’s body of work alludes to a new school of minimalism. These avant–garde installations’ underlying philosophy, encoded with symbols akin to Morse code, provides more insight into the artist’s thoughts and motivations
This commitment to her craft also exemplifies her love of the word “Infinity,” which she frequently uses in her artwork. The relationship is obvious with the iconic French brand, whose accessories are adored forever and have been popular in the fashion world for many years. Throughout the years, Louis Vuitton has continually explored the art world, forging partnerships with artists like Jeff Koons, Takashi Murakami, Sol LeWitt, Richard Prince and others.
Kusama has used Louis Vuitton’s renowned designs as a medium for her artwork twice now. She laid the groundwork for their blossoming connection in 2012 by reimagining the Louis Vuitton trunk with her distinctive spots. This time, she returns to the heritage brand’s ateliers to redesign a variety of products, including a line of menswear and womenswear as well as accessories.
Her flower designs are embossed on men’s goods like the Keepall and have been stippled in jacquard over men’s outfits and shirts for Louis Vuitton. Women’s clothing surfaces like capucines and wrap skirts are covered in more extensive artwork patches that serve as the primary draw. The spots are woven into 3D knits printed on silks and embossed, and all of the apparel –clothes, shoes and bags– have been thoughtfully encapsulated inside her world. For those who pay attention to even the smallest details, the brand’s distinctive spots are widely dispersed on the metal hardware and loafer bottoms. These prominent brand trademarks blend seamlessly into their new iterations.
References
- Inside Louis Vuitton’s viral collaboration with Yayoi Kusama, vogue.in, Available here
- Louis Vuitton overhauls stores with Yayoi Kusama polka-dots and life-like animatronics, dezeen.com, Available here
- Louis Vuitton takes over Harrods exterior to launch Yayoi Kusama collection, campaign live.co.uk, Available here
