Written by @d0nstatus
Takashi Murakami and Louis Vuitton have teamed up once again to revitalize their famous collaboration from the early 2000’s. If you’re tapped into the fashion world, you probably wouldn’t have seen this as much of a surprise due to this being teased in early December, nevertheless this collection’s history with the re-edition cements this collection as a staple in LV’s storied history. In late November, news of LV and Murakami reuniting sent shockwaves throughout the fashion world, and was full of mixed reviews. However, through this deep dive into the line, LVMH may have reinvented the heavily storied collection.
Celebrating two decades of the previous collab headed by Marc Jacobs, even then the former creative director described the collaboration as the “ultimate crossover.” Noting the significance of the brand itself, but also Murakami’s art as a whole.
“Our collaboration has produced a lot of works, and has been a huge influence and inspiration to many. It has been, and continues to be, a monumental marriage of art and commerce. The ultimate crossover – one for both the fashion and art history books.” – Marc Jacobs, 2009
Thus, bonding two separate realms of the art world, in fashion and Murakami’s visual art. To this day, the original collection not only helped propel LV to mainstream success, but it also defied fashion norms with the use of Murakami’s bold array of colors and the monogramouglauge.
Ultimately, Murakami himself noted to Vogue, that the re-edition wasn’t supposed to be as big as it is. Even with the monsoon of hype surrounding such a historic collection, the key component happened to be actress, Zendaya.
“It was supposed to be a capsule collection, pretty small, but when Zendaya appeared, I was like, wow!” exclaimed Murakami, “Her power is completely different, the energy she has is on another level.”
Since Zendaya has a history supporting the previous collab, and is a House Ambassador for the established brand, it only made sense for her to grace the marketing campaign for the line. Murakami’s creativity and innovation helped forge a powerful, nostalgic collection that lives in the hearts of artists and designers everywhere. Throughout we are shown shades of this through the actual art on the garments, accessories, and in the remastering of his film SuperflatMonogram. The film takes inspiration from the film Alice in Wonderland, as the main protagonist is swallowed by the Panda, and experiences the lens of the artist’s wild world of color.
“I wanted to create a story about kids entering the world of LV, and this is revisiting that.” Murakami explained.
The artist has way of blending subtle dark undertones, such as the sharp fangs, or the large eyes on wacky, disembodied cartoon characters, with bright, vibrant colors provoking thought about his work. His famous flowers recognize and represent the hope his native country, Japan had following the aftermath of atomic bombings. His wild and extravagant elements is what he thinks precisely caters to kids. In another quote he gave to British Vogue he noted,
“If I didn’t incorporate shadows somehow, kids will think they’re being made fun of. The world is a mess, full of desires. It’s illogical. Kids understand that.”
His willingness to be curious and try new things in the end has helped him not only propel LV further, but also his own work as a whole. Murakami has found ways to keep the inner-child in himself alive. Even with the emergence of AI and the fears of artists being replaced, Murakami instead has embraced technology with a more sanguine approach. “Photographers though they’d disappear when smartphones took over but they didn’t,” he says.
It’s inevitable that things change. At first many designers, composers, and other creatives might vanish, but they’ll come back – everyone gets bored.”
He understands that he has to adapt to live in the current times he’s in. That’s what’s keeping him in forefront today. Takashi Murakami pushes the boundary by staying inquisitive, and true to himself which pays off in his execution. In the early 2000s, he wanted to expand the market by bringing the world of LV to children. This intuitive spirit of inquiry ultimately, is what keeps Murakami’s work relevant. His synopsis for the collection is that the children that loved his work as children have now grown into adults. Thus, shaping a generation of creativity and fun in the minds of connoisseurs and kids everywhere.
Cited Sources:
Clarke, Ashley Ogawa. “Takashi Murakami on His Louis Vuitton Re-Edition Collection: ‘20 Years Have Passed in the Blink of an Eye.’” British Vogue, 26 Dec. 2024, http://www.vogue.co.uk/article/takashi-murakami-louis-vuitton-re-edition-collection.
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