At a New Exhibition, Louis Vuitton’s Artistic Collaborations Are Front and Center

Since 2000, when Marc Jacobs launched a collection with Stephen Sprouse reimagining the Louis Vuitton monogram, the fashion house has continued its foray into artist collaborations with the likes of Takashi Murakami, Yayoi Kusama, and more recently Jeff Koons, whose images from his “Masters” series of paintings based on works from Leonardo da Vinci to Gaugin adorned myriad bags and accessories.

Now Louis Vuitton has unveiled a blockbuster exhibition in Beverly Hills exploring the Maison’s 160 years of creative collaborations. Housed in the former Brooks Brothers flagship, purchased last September by LVMH for $245 million, the exhibition, titled “Louis Vuitton X,” takes over 10 rooms across two floors showcasing over 180 pieces from the brand’s archives and contemporary partnerships.

“Louis Vuitton X” exhibition on view at the 468 North Rodeo Drive Building in Beverly Hills. Photo: Courtesy of Louis Vuitton

Among the highlights of the exhibition are window displays commissioned and designed by Gaston-Louis (Louis Vuitton’s grandson), early twentieth-century special-order trunks, and Monogram bags re-envisioned by artists and designers including Cindy Sherman, Karl Lagerfeld, Koons, Rei Kawakubo, and Frank Gehry along with collaborations by Kusama, Richard Prince, and Zaha Hadid.

Installation of the exhibition “Louis Vuitton X”. Photo: Courtesy of Louis Vuitton

The final room in the space will debut Louis Vuitton’s latest artistic pursuit Artycapucines, which features the reimagining of the Capucines top-handle bag by six contemporary artists: Sam Falls, Urs Fischer, Nicholas Hlobo, Alex Israel, Tschabalala Self, and Jonas Wood.

Louis Vuitton’s Artycapucines in a rainbow-hue display. Photo: Brad Dickson

Undoubtably “Louis Vuitton X” will attract crowds akin to their previous grand exhibition “Volez, Voguez, Voyagez” that surveyed the Maison’s history of travel with automotives, cruises, trains, and aviation through immersive rooms, which was on view in multiple cities including Paris, Tokyo, Seoul, New York, and Shanghai.

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And if looking is not enough, a selection of Louis Vuitton Women’s ready-to-wear, leather goods, accessories, shoes, fragrances, Objet Nomades, and books will be displayed in a pop-up store that will be open for the duration of the exhibition.

Louis Vuitton X is open through September 15th and admission is free to the public.

Artycapucines collection. Photo: Courtesy of Louis Vuitton

Dresses on display in a millenial pink room in the exhibition “Louis Vuitton X”. Photo: Courtesy of Louis Vuitton

Monogrammed Louis Vuitton duffel bags with artistic partnerships that include Supreme, Jeff Koons, Stephen Sprouse, and Yayoi Kusama among others. Photo: Courtesy of Louis Vuitton