There once was a time when collaborations in fashion were less de rigueur, but a rarity instead. By blending cultural and fashion spheres, Marc Jacobs was one of the early adopters of this marketing success strategy, when he was the creative director of Louis Vuitton. And he landed one of his biggest coups when he joined forces with the Japanese artist, Takashi Murakami, who reinterpreted the brand’s iconic monogram by way of his quirky colourful designs for the house's spring/summer ‘03 collection. A piece of good news for fashion aficionados? Over 20 years on, Louis Vuitton has reissued a piece of fashion history, bringing back this monumental Y2K collaboration to the shop floors, reminding everyone of what made us fall head over pochette in the first place.
Looking back, the Vuitton-logo tidal wave of ‘03 hardly came as a surprise. Swapping the brown monogram for a stark white base and dotting it with Murakami’s multicoloured artwork, fed right into the craze for a discombobulated aesthetic of the early aughts. Do you remember the first time you laid eyes on it? Was it perhaps in paparazzi pics of Jessica Simpsoncarrying a splashy Speedy? Or was it when you watched Mean Girls for the first time?
Or, perhaps, it was when you came across backstage runway imagery of Naomi Campbell when flicking through a magazine. In short: it was as ubiquitous as low-rise jeans and velour tracksuits. From cameos in Sex And The City, to every nameable It girl of the time, Louis Vuitton X Murakami was the defining marker of a seriously fashionable wardrobe.
To mark the occasion of its return, next to imagining over 200 new pieces (including hair clips, bag charms and even a skateboard), as well as a campaign starring Zendaya, Louis Vuitton is taking over London’s Soho with a month-long pop-up store, making the case for the enduring power of anything Y2K. Taking from Tokyo’s famous modular design hotels, the space features a café, a Louis Vuitton X Murakami vending machine, a ‘care and repair’ shop, as well as an archival space, showcasing pieces from the original collection, all whilst proving that great design will win out, even 20 years on. Run, don't walk.
The Louis Vuitton X Murakami pop-store is now open until 9th of February on 39 Brewer Street, London, W1F 9UD.