The Louis Vuitton and Takashi Murakami collab is back

The collaboration between Louis Vuitton and the famous Japanese artist Takashi Murakami, initiated in 2002 when the brand was under the creative direction of Marc Jacobs, is one of the most successful partnerships in fashion history. It not only redefined the concept of luxury but also profoundly influenced the aesthetics and culture of the early 2000s. At the time, Marc Jacobs was determined to modernize the brand, so he decided to explore new frontiers through art. The designer discovered Takashi Murakami during an exhibition at the Cartier Foundation for Contemporary Art in Paris. It was in this context that the idea for a collaboration with the Japanese artist, known for blending elements of traditional Japanese culture with contemporary pop aesthetics, was born. «It was time to do something radically new» Jacobs stated in an interview. «We wanted to bring art into fashion in a way never seen before.» Murakami accepted the challenge, reinterpreting the LV monogram with his distinctive style and creating a series of collections that explored colorful, whimsical, and irreverent worlds. Almost twenty years after the initial release, yesterday Louis Vuitton announced on Instagram that the collaboration with Takashi Murakami will return to the brand's boutiques starting from January 1, 2025, with a re-edition dedicated to all fans of the iconic bags.

The first collection resulting from the collaboration between Murakami and Jacobs was called Monogram Multicolor and debuted in 2003, featuring the classic LV logo reinterpreted in a palette of thirty-three colors on a white or black background. It was an immediate success: Vuitton's new bags became a status symbol, moving the brand away from the traditional brown monogram (associated with a bourgeois and refined image) and finally attracting the attention of younger customers. The collaboration's global success was boosted by endorsements from it-girls like Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, and Jessica Simpson, who showcased Murakami's designs everywhere, introducing a new concept of luxury that was less traditional. The accessories created by Jacobs and Murakami met the needs and desires of the new generations of the time, who idolized sophisticated kitsch and sought "accessible" high fashion. Subsequent collections following Monogram Multicolor, such as the romantic Cherry Blossom (2003), the playful Panda (2004), and the eccentric Cerises (2005), cemented the success of the partnership between the designer and the artist. Vuitton's bags were no longer just fashion items but wearable works of art. The excellent response from consumers worldwide led to a significant revenue increase in the first year alone: according to WWD in 2003, Murakami's bag sales reportedly reached at least $345 million that year, accounting for 10% of the brand's total revenue. The global reach was facilitated by Louis Vuitton's innovative marketing strategy, which involved collaborating with pop culture icons to promote the partnership, twenty years before ambassador marketing as we know it today became its own market.

Murakami's bags became cult objects not only among the it-girls of the time but also among younger consumers, attracted by the mix of exclusivity and perceived accessibility. The early 2000s are still remembered as an era of frivolity, extreme excess, pink Bentleys, oversized sunglasses, low-rise jeans, and Juicy Couture tracksuits. The use of vibrant colors on an iconic monogram like Louis Vuitton's, along with references to Japanese pop culture and the playful design of the bags, perfectly captured the younger generation's desire to express individuality and optimism. By simply changing the monogram's color, younger audiences felt embraced by luxury fashion, while Louis Vuitton, on the other hand, managed to add a large, new segment of consumers to its target audience. When the collaboration ended in 2015, the items immediately became collectibles, sold at high prices on luxury second-hand platforms. Their return, announced for January 2025 through the launch of 3-4 drops, represents a commercially savvy move for the French brand. An immediate sell-out seems likely, especially considering the recent collaboration with Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, which celebrated another anniversary of partnership with Louis Vuitton. However, the trend of recycling the past raises questions about the creativity of today’s industry: while revisiting the historical archive can be a nostalgic and strategic operation, it also reveals a certain creative stagnation among brands, where innovation is often secondary to repeating past successes. That said, we can't wait to see the re-edition of the Monogram Multicolor, to travel back to the time when Paris Hilton graced every magazine cover.