2012/08 Louis Vuitton – Yayoi Kusama

#08 August #Black & White #Display w/ No Product #Display w/ Single Product #Primary Color #Product Concept #Product Detail #Product Pattern #Red #SS12 #White

Details:

Louis Vuitton

Yayoi Kusama

Spring-Summer Capsule 2012

Via Monte Napoleone 2, Milan

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Milan

Review:

by Peter Hamer
january 5, 2023

It was the summer of 2012, and the entire Louis Vuitton South Europe team (hi!) was preparing for the launch of the first Yayoi Kusama collection. We couldn’t talk about it with anyone as a matter of fact we had asked all window and lightbox contractors to sign NDAs. The mood was right, and the stakes were high, and rightfully so as it was a special collaboration. FYI: It was Kusama who suggested collaborating with Marc Jacobs, whom she met in 2006. The products were a mix of LV icons (Alma, Speedy, Neverfull, Keepall) and best-sellers (Lockit, Papillon, Zippy) reinterpreted in the unmistakable Kusama polka dots in red, yellow, or white on Monogram canvas or Vernis leather.

The launch was accompanied by pop-up shops, take-overs, and window displays all designed in collaboration with the artist and produced by Louis Vuitton. All set-ups featured polka dot tentacles, other flower eyes, and a selected few life-sized wax figures of the artist herself. Lovely! The display lasted for two months as products were launched in two different waves. Now, here comes the twist: during the first month of the launch, the concept foresaw NO products on display inside the retail windows. I recall having a conversation with Diane Mahady (Director of Merchandising LV SE) expressing how bold, and visionary this corporate decision was although I knew a lot of people weren’t as supportive. During the second month, ONE Neverfull was added to the display. Everyone was happy. Kind of.

I don’t recall how successful the collection was in terms of sell-through, but for this review, it doesn’t matter. The windows were simply creative works of art, with little or nothing to do with Vuitton, that leveraged the creativity of the artist. Vuitton? A vehicle to accessibility. Who can own an original Kusama? A few. Who can own a Vuitton by Kusama? More than a few. And that’s what’s so interesting about this display: a beautiful juxtaposition of art and product, a dream and reality, a vision and execution.

This is by far one of my favorite window displays because even after all these years it is still relevant. It’s a vehicle that stimulates dialogue and goes beyond a product. Isn’t that what fashion should do?

If you’re curious about the inspiration for this display, you can watch an interview with Marc Jacobs about the collaboration here, and the lookbook campaign here.