Yayoi Kusama, the avant-garde visual artist best known for her eccentric use of polka dots in her art exhibitions, has once again joined forces with French fashion house Louis Vuitton, 10 years after the debut of their maiden collaboration together.
From humble beginnings in 1929, the Japanese native made a name for herself in the world of the arts, driven by her hallucinations since childhood. From Tokyo to New York, her works showcased the infinite, translated through a series of dots that varied in sizes and colours.
Originally brought to life through a number of exhibitions, a series of unique window installations, and an immortalized by a mannequin of Yayoi Kusama herself, her first collection with Louis Vuitton showcased a bold, playful, and monochromatic take on her signature style which was sartorially reimagined by the brand’s then-Creative Director, Marc Jacobs.
With an initial preview of the collection first appearing in Louis Vuitton’s Cruise 2023 Fashion Show at the Salk Institute, loyal fans of the original collaboration were quick to spot the smattering of accessories which belonged to Drop 1 of the project. Donning her trademark visuals in an assortment of variations, the pieces beamed of painted, metal and infinity dots with hints of psychedelic flowers as models sashayed down the runway.
This time around, the return of Kusama is celebrated with Nicolas Ghesquière at the luxury fashion house’s helm. “In 2012, Yayoi Kusama took one of the most timeless and magical of the Maison’s emblematic objects and made it her own – she hand-painted a Louis Vuitton trunk with her characteristic polka dots, dots that, for Kusama, represent infinity. It is an exact replica of these dots, a true representation of Kusama’s hand that is one of the many things in the project that has challenged and advanced the Maison’s savoir-faire. Each incarnation of the polka dots has been presided over by Kusama personally – as have all the many and varied objects in the project – being moved with precision to the nearest millimetre, brushstrokes echoed in uncanny detail with their texture and weight intact. It is in this pursuit of the infinite through craft that both Louis Vuitton and Yayoi Kusama are ultimately united.” the Maison shared in a Press Release.
For more information, visit the Louis Vuitton website, or their locations in Greenbelt 3, Makati & Shangri-la Plaza, Mandaluyong for more information.