You may have noticed the striking, coloured polka dots splattered across Louis Vuitton’s Speedy bags, and wondered, who was responsible for these arresting designs?
The artist behind these creative disruptions is Yayoi Kusama, an iconic, 95-year-old Japanese artist known for her whimsical polka dots and immersive installations. She began her iconic fashion collaboration with Louis Vuitton under their former Creative Director, Marc Jacobs, in 2012. The collaboration was inspired by Jacobs’ visit to the artist’s Tokyo studio in 2006, where she gifted him a Louis Vuitton Ellipse bag decorated in her hand painted signature dots.
Kusama, who has resided at the Seiwa Psychiatric Hospital in Tokyo since 1977, began to create art as a therapeutic escape, allowing her to channel her inner landscape into tangible forms. The artist’s long and plentiful artistic journey began when she began experiencing vivid hallucinations at just ten years old. These visions, characterised by repetitive patterns, evolved into a fascination with infinity, sparking her polka dot obsession and shaping her distinctive artistic motif that manifests through immersive installations, paintings and sculptures. The creative process for Kusama often begins with her signature polka dots, which she refers to as “infinity nets” or “infinity dots”. These dots seem to extend endlessly, mirroring her perception of the universe. She meticulously applies these patterns in various forms, with the repetitive action acting as a meditative practice for her, helping to alleviate an occasionally tumultuous inner world.
Collaborating with a fashion powerhouse like Louis Vuitton allowed Kusama to expand her artistic expression to a new medium, transforming the luxury brand’s signature pieces into canvases. The partnership was revived in 2021, marking a significant milestone, as Kusama’s work continues to resonate with a new generation of art and fashion enthusiasts. Louis Vuitton re-introduced her iconic polka dot and pumpkin motifs, blending them with innovative designs and modern sustainable practices. The collection featured not only ready-to-wear pieces but also accessories ranging from handbags to sneakers, all echoing the spirit of joy and wonder that Kusama encapsulates in her art.
The collaboration has also been punctuated with immersive customer experiences, including jaw-dropping exhibitions and innovative installations in Louis Vuitton’s retail stores. This included the takeover of the house’s Champs-Elysées flagship store, where a gigantic sculpture that resembled Kusama was erected on the exterior of the building, to appear as though she were painting dots on the facade. These events allow patrons to experience her art in a multisensory way, bonding the voyeur or consumer to the art and product.
Yayoi Kusama’s collaboration with Louis Vuitton blurs the line between art and fashion and celebrates the beauty of disruption, neurodivergence and individuality. We continue to witness the evolution of the luxury market, with Kusama’s cheerful yet philosophical imprint on the luxury fashion house forever embossed on popular culture, and reminding us that great art can transform the practical into something truly magical.
By Indigo Keane, Luxury Specialist
Top Image: Large inflatable mannequin depicting Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama on store front of Louis Vuitton shop, Paris / Alamy
November 2024