Louis Vuitton launches new LV Art Silk Squares

Combining luxury with artistry, Louis Vuitton’s LV Art Silk Squares feature designs by five renowned artists on exquisitely crafted silk scarves.

Louis Vuitton, the epitome of French luxury, has unveiled its latest fashion masterpiece: the LV Art Silk Squares collection. This innovative collection of silk scarves, carefully crafted in collaboration with five internationally acclaimed artists, is a testament to the House’s tireless commitment to pushing the boundaries of fashion.

The collection not only exemplifies Louis Vuitton’s commitment to combining cutting-edge artistic expression with exquisite craftsmanship, but also reinforces the brand’s position at the forefront of the luxury goods industry.

By transforming the iconic silk carré into a canvas for creative discovery, Louis Vuitton has once again demonstrated its unique ability to honor its rich heritage while embracing the avant-garde, setting a new standard for the intersection of art and fashion in the 21st century.

A canvas of creativity: LV Art Silk Squares

Louis Vuitton, the iconic French fashion house, has once again demonstrated its ability to combine traditional luxury with modern artistry. The LV Art Silk Squares collection represents a significant milestone in the brand’s ongoing journey to redefine the boundaries between fashion and art.

The collection includes the work of five respected contemporary artists: the German pixel art collective eBoy, the French-Japanese-Spanish design duo Icinori, the Italian artist Lorenzo Mattotti, the French graphic novelist Nicolas de Crécy and the Swiss artist Thomas Ott.

Each artist brings their unique vision to the glossy canvas of Louis Vuitton’s signature silk square, known in French as a “carré.”

LV Art Silk Squares – The artists and their visions

eBoy: Digital art meets luxury

Founded in 1997 by Kai Vermehr, Steffen Sauerteig and Svend Smital, eBoy has carved a niche for herself in the art world with her distinctive pixel art aesthetic. Her contribution to the collection, titled “Maze of Precious,” is a testament to her unique style.

The design features an LV logo in the center of a labyrinth. The edges of the labyrinth are made of different fabrics (twill, satin, etc.) with elements of the monogram pattern.

The scarf is brought to life by colorful, pixelated vegetation and playful, geometric insects, creating a fascinating mix of traditional luxury motifs and contemporary digital art.

Icinori: A world of suitcases and travel

The designer duo Mayumi Otero and Raphaël Urwiller, collectively known as Icinorihave made a name for themselves with their unique blend of traditional artistic techniques and modern storytelling.

Her work for Louis Vuitton, entitled “Malles Monde,” is a vivid tribute to the brand’s tradition of making suitcases.

The silk square features colorful malles (trunks) blooming with plants and monogram symbols. This design beautifully embodies life’s constant renewal and ongoing journey, and is perfectly in line with Louis Vuitton’s ethos of “The Art of Travel.”

Lorenzo Mattotti: A dreamy homage to Art Nouveau

Italian artist Lorenzo Mattottiknown for his dreamlike visions in comics and illustrations, brings his unmistakable style to the collection with “Iris Spring”.

This design pays homage to the Art Nouveau stained glass in the Vuitton family’s historic home in the Maison’s Asnières ateliers.

Mattotti’s Carré features a stunning iris framed by colorful trees and a waterfall. The flowing shapes of the flower become the focus of a kaleidoscopic fantasy, demonstrating Mattotti’s mastery of color and form.

Nicolas de Crécy: An olfactory journey

French comic book author Nicolas de Crecyknown for his surreal stories, takes us on an olfactory journey with ‘Parfums de Méditerranée’.

Inspired by the gardens in Grasse, where Louis Vuitton fragrances are created, de Crécy’s design is an enchanting panorama that combines majestic mountains, intricate floral depictions and playful inventions based on the Monogram pattern.

The result is a whimsical homage to the art of perfumery, rendered in de Crécy’s unmistakable style, which mixes the fantastic with the familiar.

Thomas Ott: Urban Nature in Chiaroscuro

Swiss artists Thomas Ottcelebrated for his expressive black-and-white graphic novels, brings his labor-intensive scratchboard technique to “Urban Flowers.”

This design uses delicately surreal chiaroscuro images to demonstrate nature’s ability to transform urban environments.

Ott’s work illustrates how flowers can become symbols of the insatiable human spirit in even the most concrete jungles. The stark contrast and intricate detail of his design make it a notable addition to the collection.

The art of silk: From canvas to carré

The creation of these silk squares is a testament to Louis Vuitton’s commitment to excellence in craftsmanship. The process begins in Paris, where the Louis Vuitton Studio works closely with the artists to translate their visions onto silk.

Production is then relocated to Como in Italy, a world-renowned center of silk craftsmanship with centuries-old expertise.

In Como, skilled artisans carefully transfer the artists’ works onto the finest white silk squares. This process often requires printing several layers of color to faithfully recreate the original artwork. After printing, the squares undergo a careful washing and drying process.

The finishing touch is the hand-stitched edges, which are made using an age-old technique called roulottage. This meticulous process ensures that each scarf is not only a work of art, but also a durable accessory that will stand the test of time.

A legacy of artistic collaboration

The LV Art Silk Squares collection is not Louis Vuitton’s first foray into the world of artistic collaboration. In fact, it is the latest chapter in a rich history that stretches back to 1987. That year, “The Silk Road” project began, with leading artists such as Arman, Sandro Chia, Arata Isozaki, Sol LeWitt and James Rosenquist creating designs for Louis Vuitton’s silk squares.

Over the years, this tradition has continued with contributions from notable personalities such as Andrée Putman, César Baldaccini and Philippe Starck. In 2013, Louis Vuitton presented a new version of its silk scarves, “Foulards d’Artistes”, featuring works by famous street artists such as Os Gemeos and Retna.

Today, the entire collection of artist-designed silk scarves from decades past is on display at LV Dream, an exhibition at Louis Vuitton’s headquarters in Paris. This exhibition not only highlights the brand’s long-standing commitment to artistic collaboration, but also offers a fascinating insight into the evolution of fashion and art over the years.

The meaning of the LV Art Silk Squares collection

More than just a range of beautiful accessories, the LV Art Silk Squares collection represents a meaningful intersection between art, fashion and craftsmanship, representing Louis Vuitton’s enduring heritage and forward-thinking approach.

By collaborating with contemporary artists, Louis Vuitton continues to push the boundaries of luxury fashion. These silk scarves are not just accessories; they are wearable works of art that challenge traditional notions of fashion and artistic expression.

Furthermore, the collection demonstrates Louis Vuitton’s commitment to preserving traditional craftsmanship while embracing modern artistic sensibilities. The meticulous process of translating artists’ visions onto silk, combined with time-honored finishing techniques, demonstrates a deep respect for the art of silkmaking.

The future of fashion and art

As the fashion industry evolves, collaborations like the LV Art Silk Squares collection point to a future where the lines between fashion and art are increasingly blurred. This approach not only creates unique, desirable products, but also provides artists with a platform to reach new audiences and experiment with different mediums.

For consumers, such collaborations offer the opportunity to own a wearable work of art, bridging the gap between haute couture and art collections.

Whether worn as a statement piece or displayed as a work of art, these silk scarves represent a new form of luxury that values ​​creativity and individuality alongside craftsmanship and brand tradition.

Diploma

The LV Art Silk Squares collection marks another milestone in Louis Vuitton’s path of artistic collaboration and innovation.

By bringing together different artistic voices and traditional Craftsmanshipthe brand has created a collection that is both a tribute to its heritage and a bold step into the future of luxury fashion.

When these limited edition designs become available in Louis Vuitton stores and online from August 30, 2024, they are sure to capture the imagination of fashion enthusiasts and art lovers alike.

More than just accessories, these silk scarves represent the fusion of creativity, craftsmanship and luxury that defines Louis Vuitton’s enduring appeal in the ever-evolving world of haute couture.