Since 1854, Louis Vuitton has been an advocate for the “Art of Travel” crafting trunks and accessories that combine elegance and practicality. Evolving with the times, the Maison has welcomed a host of collaborations with designers and artists along the way, including Japanese contemporary artist, Takashi Murakami, whose artwork explores the space between art and pop culture.
It’s a story that began 20 years ago in a pure and joyful partnership with then-Artistic Director Marc Jacobs at the helm — fast forward two decades and the relationship is still going strong. On his history with the French Maison Takashi says, “I worked with Louis Vuitton twenty years ago. Since then, I have enjoyed partnerships with many other groups, but I have always thought that the Louis Vuitton team works hardest and is the most focused and quality orientated. Every time that I try to do something that feels like Louis Vuitton in my studio, I realise how difficult it is, and so I would say that everything that is done by the Maison, from communications to its production, is truly extraordinary.”
Launching in January, and throughout 2025, there will be celebratory collections made up of re-editions that pay homage to the noughties originals. With over 200 new creations the project is a modern interpretation of a long-standing creative relationship that taps into modern pop and collector culture. Expect the iconic motifs and characters created by Murakami applied to LV pieces, from the City Bag to belts, silk squares, perfumes, along with a skateboard, and the best bit: a made-to-order Malle trunk containing 33 Speedy bags.
As the artist expands, “Last time, when I did the panda animation, I was thinking of the future, which… well is basically now. For the past twenty years I have been thinking about what it would be like today, and I have tried to convey a message to children in the hope that they would love my work. I hope that these lively characters will be appreciated by children this time too, and that they will still be so in twenty or thirty years.”
The first drop of the Louis Vuitton x Murakami collection will be available from the 1st of January, and globally from the 3rd of January 2025. This will be followed by a second drop, launching in March that will celebrate the springtime Cherry Blossom motif, and a third drop mid-year.
“Louis Vuitton always does everything so majestically and on such a large scale – I find that a lot of fun.”
To celebrate the collaboration Louis Vuitton will be offering an immersive journey — think window displays, pop-ups, and store events alongside a dedicated advertising campaign. The pièce de résistance? Well, for the month of January, the brand will be taking to the streets of Milan and will decorate two of its trams in Takashi’s kaleidoscopic colours, complete with customised routes through the centre.
One will take the form of a mobile cinema, with interiors that channel the atmosphere of an intimate cinema, playing videos and pictures that reflect the world of Murakami for Louis Vuitton, while the second tram is a literary café surrounded by kaleidoscopic Monogram Multicolor. Trips can be booked through the Louis Vuitton website from January and will start from two legendary Milanese squares: Piazza Castello and Piazza Fontana and stop at the Louis Vuitton shop in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II to view the artistic line. It doesn’t stop there, as the journey will continue to Rome and a redecorated Cinema Spazio Etoile will showcase short, animated films, Superflat Monogram and Superflat First Love for the full, immersive experience — showcasing LV’s appreciable dedication to art, and the art of travel on a large scale.
For further details louisvuitton.com.
