Louis Vuitton Announces Jeff Koons Collaboration

Fashion and art have long existed within the same cultural circles, like two friends of friends who hit it off when invited to the same dinner parties, but never dine together alone. However a new collection from Louis Vuitton featuring work by Jeff Koons suggests the two have embarked on a rather steamy affair.

Louis Vuitton has long been championing a unique relationship between fashion and art, with previous collections drawing inspiration from, or working directly with, the likes of Yayoi Kusama, Cindy Sherman and Olafur Eliason. LVMH’s dedication to the arts has also manifested itself in the Louis Vuitton Foundation, which opened in Paris in 2014 – a creative space designed by Frank Gehry and home to works by 71 influential artists.

For this Louis Vuitton x Jeff Koons collection, the brand has paired with the New York-based artist to deliver a capsule of bags and accessories which will be released at the end of April. The collection sees imagery from Koons’ ‘Gazing Ball’ series printed onto the leather goods. In this way the old masters – Reubens, Da Vinci, Fragonard and Titian – are once again re-imagined and presented afresh to audiences. Each bag will come with one of Koons’ inflatable famous rabbits attached as a tag. Highlights include the image of Mona Lisa, and paintings by Titian, glazed with the Louis Vuitton logo.

In an unprecedented move, Koons has also been allowed to reconfigure the brand’s logo to include his own initials – a privilege that is rarely, if ever extended to collaborators. From old masters to new visionaries, this is a cultural offering that allows you to swing the canon of art history from your arm.

Louis Vuitton x Jeff Koons launches April 28, on louisvuiton.com and in stores worldwide.