Two hundred years to the day of his birth, starting August 4 2021, Louis Vuitton’s bicentennial birthday will be celebrated globally with a series of creative initiatives from 200 talents, special friends and visionaries.
For the special occasion, “Louis 200” will pay homage to the man who was an entrepreneur, an innovator and a dreamer. Celebratory windows will be unveiled across the entire store network throughout August created with 200 talents across varying backgrounds and disciplines have individually interpreted Louis.
The starting point for all 200 visionaries is a box measuring 50x50x100cm, which is close to the dimensions of the original trunk that Louis developed in the 1850s. The trunk is the most emblematic object from Louis Vuitton as it can transform into a vessel and a building block for collective imagination and individual artistic expression. Highlights include a large-scale triptych of Louis painted by Alex Katz; a fictionalized novel by French writer Caroline Bongrand about the life and intentions of Louis, and a documentary “Looking for Louis,” that retraces the story of the young designer, are a few celebratory mentions.
Panorama Le Tout-Paris painted by Ch. Castellani: Louis Vuitton advertising insert presented in a catalog dedicated to the Universal Exhibition of 1889, in Paris. Courtesy to Louis Vuitton.
Flat trunk in Trianon gray canvas, 1879. Courtesy to Louis Vuitton.
Simultaneously, the maison has developed a platform game open to all the new digital generation. “Louis The Game” offers an action-packed adventure with the House’s mascot Vivienne through six imaginary worlds that are situated outside of the present realm. Integrating the latest blockchain technology, the game will also include 30 NFTs, with 10 created by the digital artist Beeple.
Louis the Game, 2021. Courtesy to Louis Vuitton.
Vivienne in Louis the Game, 2021. Courtesy to Louis Vuitton.
In addition, Louis Vuitton has offered to donate 10,000 euros in the name of and on behalf of each collaborating talent to one of 15 non-profit organizations, making a donation total of two million euros. These organizations represent many different aspects of creativity in the industry and those selected enable the access and discovery of the arts among young people and those from disadvantaged communities across 13 countries and five continents.
Advertisement of London Louis Vuitton 149 Bond Street store, 1910s. Courtesy to Louis Vuitton.
Louis Vuitton’s Chairman and CEO Michael Burke said, “Louis’ coming-of-age tale, that of a risk-taking, innovative, natural leader defines the Maison he founded and advances us into the future. Through the disruptive and dynamic initiatives of Louis 200, we can appreciate how Louis was a figure of his time–and of ours.”
Louis Vuitton Product Catalog, London, 1892. Courtesy to Louis Vuitton.
Detail of the checkered (Damier) canvas, 1888. Courtesy to Louis Vuitton.
