Louis Vuitton X Yayoi Kusama

[Chanelcouture09]

LOUIS VUITTON has finally unveiled its Yayoi Kusama collection in its entirety, ahead of its store landing date tomorrow, and we have it here to show you.

Bold, playful and not for the faint-hearted, the offering features the artist's signature bold spots - which cover every item, from bags to dresses. The range is the house's most significant artist collaboration since it teamed up with Steven Sprouse in 2001 to create his now-iconic graffiti bags. Highlights from the Kusama collection include a yellow drop-waisted dress with a frill skirt; cropped trousers in red and black; classic trench coats, given a surreal twist with the artist's vibrant spots; and silk scarves - which offer a more subtle way to buy into the collection.

Louis Vuitton creative director Marc Jacobs first met 83-year-old Kusama in 2006 and became enraptured by her "endless energy" and her ability to create, through her work, a " world that never ends".

*Vogue.co.uk

 

[Chanelcouture09]

LOUIS VUITTON is celebrating its highly-anticipated Yayoi Kusama collaboration with a creative takeover in Selfridges. On August 24, the store will unveil a dedicated window display created by the artist herself and a pop-up boutique, open for six weeks, focusing on the new collection. The Tate Modern kicked off this year's Kusama fever with a retrospective exhibition, which opened in February and closed earlier this month.

Shoppers will be invited to step into Kusama's world as Selfridges' Concept Store will be redecorated using the artist's signature giant pumpkins. It will carry the collection's handbags, ready-to-wear, travel bags, shoes and accessories. Kusama will also create a 24-window design - the biggest window makeover in the store's history.

LOUIS VUITTON and Yayoi Kusama are teaming up to create a collection, launching on July 10 - with a second instalment landing in stores in October. The French fashion house first worked with the Japanese artist back in February, when it offered financial support for her retrospective at the Tate Modern.

"Her energy is just endless," Vuitton creative director Marc Jacobs said of the artist. "Through the painstaking sort of obsession in each of her canvasses and installations that she's created, you see this world that never ends. I guess that's what I admire and that's what I respond to in terms of feeling for her and for her work."

The collection will focus on Kusama's bold signature surreal spots, which will appear on skirts, tops, leggings and bags. Jacobs first met 83-year-old Kusama, who voluntarily lives in a psychiatric institution, in 2006 at her Tokyo studio.

"Louis Vuitton has outlets and fans all around the world and I hope, like with other collaborations, and expect, like other collaborations, that this will bring the work of Kusama to a new audience and that's the audience of Louis Vuitton," added Jacobs. "It continues something I began when I came here which is the idea of art and collaboration, or collaboration with artists. For many people who don't look at art or go to galleries, or maybe they're not aware of Kusama's work, there will be a new venue, a new place to see this work and to come to appreciate it through the eyes of Louis Vuitton."

The luxury label is well-known for its art collaborations, notably for its work with Steven Sprouse in 2001, when the artist covered Vuitton bags with his signature graffiti; as well as with Japanese print artist Takashi Murakami, whose colourful take on the Vuitton monogram was first launched in 2002.

*Vogue.co.uk

 

[Chanelcouture09]

 

[Chanelcouture09]

Outside the store in New York


*Kegrand/Twitter

 

[Chanelcouture09]

The Louis Vuitton/Yayoi Kusama collaboration will be in Louis Vuitton stores from Tuesday. A pop-up store will open in Selfridges, London, on August 24

Pumps, £675; sandals, £635; shawl, £490; bangle, from £265


Sunglasses £350, zippy wallet, £595; money purse, £200; pumps, £710.
*Vogue.co.uk

 

[Chanelcouture09]

Vogue Brazil July 2012


*Fashionspoiler.blogspot.com & Fashiongonerouge.com

 

[Chanelcouture09]

*Fashionista.com

 

[Chanelcouture09]

Vogue Taiwan July 2012


*vogue.com.tw

 

[glitterpeacock]

I absolutely adore this. I really think Yayoi Kusama is the greatest living artist and I just wish I could go to New York to see the store.

 

[Chanelcouture09]

Spots will be sprouting across the globe this summer as Louis Vuitton rolls out seven pop-up shops to mark its capsule collection with Japanese avant-garde artist Yayoi Kusama, reports WWD.

The first shop is set to open inside the Louis Vuitton boutique in New York on July 10, two days before Kusama’s touring retrospective opens at the Whitney Museum of American Art. Next, polka dots — Kusama’s signature motif — will spring up in Asia, at Pacific Place in Hong Kong, Ngee Ann City in Singapore, and Isetan’s Shinjuku branch in Tokyo.

Following those launches, Tokyo, the city Kusama calls home, will get a second location in Dover Street Market in Ginza. Then the two largest Kusama concept stores will open at two department stores: an 860-square-feet shop in Printemps in Paris on August 23; and a 1,375-square-feet boutique in Selfridges in London on August 24. The Paris location will be centered around polka dots, while the London shop will revolve around Kusama’s famous pumpkin sculptures.

The pop-up outlets will be open for one to two months, offering a range of spotted trench coats, handbags, and other accessories created with the artist for Louis Vuitton. The European branches will also exclusively offer tentacle-festooned handbags two months ahead of their scheduled October launch date.

Louis Vuitton creative director Marc Jacobs must have been so taken with Kusama when she presented him with a customized a Louis Vuitton Ellipse bag during his first visit to her studio in 2006 that she should get special treatment. Out of the three other artists — Stephen Sprouse, Takashi Murakami, and Richard Prince — Jacobs selected to partner with the brand, Kusama is the only one to have multiple pop-up shops in her line’s honor.

*artinfo.com

 

[tctra]

i must have a mild fear of holes cos those eye looking dots on gisele's shorts give me goosebumps

 

[VogueParisLover]

Vogue Paris June/July 2012
Zoom - 'Hot Dots'
By: Sonia Rachline
Photography: Katja Rahlwes
Realization: Célia Azoulay
Model: Toni Garrn

my scans

 

[Street_a_Licious]

i can't really see this succeeding as much as the Murakami collaborations did. it's... polka dots.

 

[thejarc]

Yea, thats what I thought. Its boring pieces of clothing covered in ... dots. Its gonna be HUGE in Japan.

 

[Empress of Dress]

I like what I see so far. I can see this becoming a Huge trend !

 

[ChrissyM]

I think the dots actually may work better than the Murakami/Sprouse pieces. They seem far more versatile.

 

[Chanelcouture09]

^I agree partially, on the clothing, but *some of* the accessories seem a bit slap dash, the Yellow/Black pieces, particularly the bags are vulgar and some of the shoes seem a bit tacky, but the clothing makes up for it entirely, I don't even mind the Blue spotted trench with the LV logo under, I find it quite appealing actually and the rest seems really cute, they are definitely catering to the Japanese market more so than anyone else, but I could see girls particularly, worldwide drooling over this, I'd say some of the pieces will weather the test of time.

 

[tatouejeremie]

urgh, it's not even done in an interesting way.. yayoi kusama's work is very in your face and quite aggressive, this is just way too polite

 

[ChrissyM]

i think i'm actually more curious about the designs of the pop up shops than the clothes/accessories

anyone making their way over to the one in NYC? It opens today I think.

 

[Chanelcouture09]

A cute little bag from the collection :


*10magazine.com