Louis Vuitton has launched a collaboration with the legendary artist Yayoi Kusama, which the maison is celebrating now in New York with a special pop-up shop in the Meatpacking District and at its boutique in Soho. Known for her immersive Infinity Rooms and motifs like a series of imaginative pumpkins covered in lively polka dots, the collaboration with the 93-year-old Japanese artist encompasses a capsule collection of apparel and accessories exploring her iconic works in multiple colorways.
In the Meatpacking District, passersby can see the golden glow of the installation through the windows from across the street. Inside, a floor-to-ceiling environment of yellow-and-black polka dots provides the setting for Kusama’s mirrored spheres. Suspended from the ceiling, standing on the floor, and positioned carefully into the shape of the LV monogram, the works of the installation come together to create an awe-inspiring environment for wearable pieces from the collections found on mannequins and display shelves throughout the space.
Meanwhile, in Soho, the entirety of the boutique—from its façade to its floors and ceilings—is transformed by Kusama’s spots, here seen against a white backdrop with primary-hued colors. Outfitted with floating mirrored spheres, all-white seating, and special furniture pieces, patrons will find that the whimsical retail space holds the collection, ready for shopping.
Louis Vuitton x Yayoi Kusama, courtesy of Louis Vuitton.
Captured in a campaign with fashion icons like Bella Hadid, Gisele Bündchen, Fei-Fei Sun, and Anok Yai, the audacious capsule includes men’s and womenswear offerings, which will be available in two drops—the first of which is live now, and a second to be released on March 31. Featuring Kusama’s Painted Dots, Metal Dots, Infinity Dots, and Psychedelic Flowers, Louis Vuitton staples like the Pochette Métis cross-body, the Capucines handbag, and the Archlight sneaker have been reimagined for the collaboration’s first iteration, featuring details like hand-applied metal spheres and serigraphy techniques that reproduce the artist’s brushstrokes.
Louis Vuitton x Yayoi Kusama, courtesy of Louis Vuitton.
Also included in the collection are womenswear pieces like the Painted Dots denim skirt, a colorful dotted trench coat, a red and white utility suit, and other pieces intermingling Kusama’s works with the house’s recognizable imagery, while for men, we’ve seen pieces imagined in the grayscale including a monogrammed puffer, a special bottle of L’Immensité fragrance, a take on the Christopher backpack, and much more.
For the run of the collaboration, the maison has also introduced special initiatives allowing viewers worldwide to experience the magic of Kusama’s practice, imagined as AR filters for apps like Instagram and Snapchat.
Louis Vuitton x Yayoi Kusama, courtesy of Louis Vuitton.
Louis Vuitton x Yayoi Kusama, courtesy of Louis Vuitton.
