Louis Vuitton x Yayoi Kusama - The Golden Standard of Brand x Art collabs.
We are witnessing one of the most amazing collaborations between a Brand and Artist that the world has ever seen. A collaboration that acts as a shrine & acknowledgement to the significance of Art.
Born in 1929, Kusama's artwork encompasses & transcends both pop-art, minimalism and surrealism. From paintings to room-size presentations, sculptural installations to literary works, films to explorations in fashion & design. Her work showcased everywhere from the Venice Biennale to the MOMA, Pompidou to the Tate, Whitney to the AGO. Overall, In essence, It's the sheer spectrum & versatilely of her art that makes her one of the most notable contemporary artists alive.
Now, Let's rewind to 2006, Marc Jacobs then Creative Director of LV pays Kusama a visit at her Tokyo atelier, she hand paints a LV Ellipse bag with her signature polka dot motif & 6 years after that marked the first official LV x YK collaboration featuring a variety of hand bags & read to wear pieces adorned with her iconic polka dot pattern.
A collaboration in retrospect that we can rightfully consider the appetizer to the current main course. Launched on January 1st is an Artist x brand collaboration unlike the world has ever seen before, in terms of scale, depth, attention to detail & obsessive craftsmanship. LV has gone all-in on everything Kusama. The Savoir-Faire luxury brand has heavily invested into manifesting Kusama's world in a manner that radiates throughout all of the Maison categories & beyond. Starting with a massive collection designed by Nicolas Ghesquière comprising of 450 individual pieces from clothing to bags for both men & women and it's all kicked off in a vibrant introductory spot with no other than the legendary Rolling Stones tune "She's a Rainbow".
The wow factor manifests globally at LV retail locations, starting from the flagship LV Champs-Élysées location that has a gigantic animatronic Kusama emerging from behind the building painting the windows with Polkadots. In London, Harrods traditional exterior also received the Polka-dot treatment & 22 windows filled with unique anamorphic displays. NYC LV locations have both been transformed into white canvas' giving birth to a fun polka-dot frenzy & in Harajuku her signature & bold yellow & black polka-dots dazzle & delight.
An experience that was designed to speak to multiple generations & cultural backgrounds, continues online in the form of a playful instagram "KUSAMA-IFY YOUR WORLD" polka dot filter, to the more immersive LVxYK app that gamify's the brand x art experience from colour craze to pumpkin painter.
This collaboration will be studied for years to come & rightfully so. A fine example of Art & Brand Commerce coming together in a manner where each party is fully respected, acknowledged, elevating one-another in such a confident beautiful infinite manner, just like one of Kusama's infinity rooms.
