Since the first drop of Louis Vuitton x Yayoi Kusama at the beginning of the year—the triumphant continuation of a collaboration that took shape in 2012—there has been a global takeover of Kusama’s otherworldly artistic expression. In every major city, Louis Vuitton boutiques were transformed with the artist’s signature hand-drawn polka dots and giant sculptures in her likeness. On the Champs-Élysées, the Louis Vuitton store featured a sculpture depicting her painting her dots near the top of the building. In London, a standing sculpture does the same at Harrods.
The collaboration continues with a second, more expansive drop that taps on Kusama’s other artistic expressions as well. A second wave of Infinity Dots comes in three new colourways: black and fuchsia, sky blue and white, and white and red. From the Neverfull to the Speedy 20, along with the Twist and Neonoe, they adorn several of the house’s signature bags in Monogram Empreinte. Casual options include reversible bucket hats, baseball caps, and the LV Trainer in sky blue and white or yellow and white.
Floral motifs also return in the Flowers series. Unlike the first drop, these come from Kusama’s 2004 painting Flowers, depicting whimsical flowers with dots. Louis Vuitton x Yayoi Kusama’s women’s collection incorporates them extensively as delicate embroideries, prints, and leather intarsias—the latter looking like intricate pieces of art on the Capucines bags.
Related to Flowers through expression is the Pumpkins series. Named after Kusama’s iconic use of pumpkins as an allegory for her hallucinatory world, Pumpkins takes centre stage for Drop 2 of Louis Vuitton x Yayoi Kusama. Its most literal creation is the Pumpkin Bag, a nod to the original Pumpkin Minaudière released in the original 2012 collection. Crafted from leather, it is dressed in the LV Monogram and comes in black and yellow or silver with multicoloured LV Monogram elements. In other accessories, the overlapping pumpkins aren’t the same colour or shape.
Another masterpiece—and one of her most sought-after works—is the centrepiece of the Infinity Net series. The piece is translated into a print on taurillon leather and turned into a Capucines bag. In one variation, the original artwork’s blue-black base is maintained with white accents. In another, a bold pop of fuchsia presents itself in the more contemporary version.
The final series is the most eye-catching. Faces strips elements from Kusama’s My Eternal Soul series of paintings that she started in 2009. Both Kusama and Louis Vuitton chose and tweaked each one. Face-like, these elements appear as distinct individual characters resembling expressive patches on everything from ready- to-wear—including denim pieces and varsity jackets—to soft accessories. On leather goods, Faces pops up on, a new signature colour for Louis Vuitton.
Each series not only pays homage to Kusama’s rich artistic talent, but is also a testament to the versatility of her works that they can be easily transformed into luxury fashion and wearable pieces of art with little to no tweaking.
Is there anything better than art that transcends its original form and endures for years, if not an eternity?
