Louis Vuitton Celebrating Monogram: The Icon and The Iconoclasts

louis vuitton icons

Oh Louis Vuitton, how we love thee. Despite being built on 160 years of heritage, the Parisian powerhouse is far from being a stick in the mud as it perpetually evolves the label’s signatures by thinking well outside the monogrammed trunk. Its latest coup sees it team up with like-minded iconoclasts to rework that infamous LV logo, resulting in six vastly different, but equally covetable, interpretations.

Christian Louboutin, Cindy Sherman, Frank Gehry, Karl Lagerfeld, Marc Newson and Rei Kawakubo were all given carte blanche to do what they liked with the famous house monogram, providing the end result was either a bag or a piece of luggage. Delphine Arnault, Executive Vice President of Louis Vuitton, says: “When we talked with Nicolas Ghesquiere (the brand’s artistic director) about the extraordinary talents we would like to approach we simply went to those who are among the best in their fields. We were interested in people who work with their minds and their hands. It’s inspiring to see how they envision things, to see their perspectives. This is a group of geniuses.”

Indeed, it’s fascinating to see the heritage brand reimagined through the prism of six completely different viewpoints; the high, unapologetic glamour of Louboutin, the cerebral, topsy-turvy perspective of founder of Comme des Garcons, Rei Kawakubo, and the conceptual, often outré photographer’s eye of Cindy Sherman. Louboutin’s take on the classic French market trolley sees him sprinkle it with a smattering of gold studs and a signature red overhaul, while Sherman’s spin on the original travel trunk sees it reincarnated with kaleidoscopic suede drawers, a pop-up vanity table, fold out stool and a removable mini suitcase.

Lagerfeld, quite possibly inspired by Chanel’s storied sportswear history, has proffered up a punching bag and matching boxing gloves while architect du jour (and designer of Vuitton’s new Paris-based mega-museum) Gehry put his inimitable stamp on a mini trunk, distorting the lines and creating an abstract piece that’s more objet d’art than fashion accessory.

Fashion accessories they are, though, and, as such, they can be bought – albeit in limited numbers. Be quick, though; twice the designer, twice the desirability, right?

These exclusive and limited editions will be available in selected Louis Vuitton stores worldwide from mid-October 2014.

For more information about the style project, visit here