As lovers of timeless pieces in the modern world, we’re always excited to see how our favorite fashion houses embrace both creativity and tradition. Cue Louis Vuitton x Jeff Koons! The new “Masters” collab has taken iconic paintings and transformed them into modern art via purses.
Da Vinci? Titian? Van Gogh? All there. Even the lesser-known names of Fragonard and Rubens. The artists’ names are fixed in bold metallic lettering on canvas printed with their famous paintings (think “DA VINCI” across the Mona Lisa’s cheeks). The bags are finally topped off with a rabbit charm modeled on Koons’ infamous statue.
Price Comparison
Speedy 30 | Neverfull MM | Keepall 50 | Montaigne MM | Palm Springs | |
Regular Canvas | $970 | $1,260 | $1,370 | $2,410 | $1,960 |
x Koons | $2,800 | $3,200 | $4,000 | $4,000 | $3,200 |
Speedy 30 | Neverfull MM | Keepall 50 | Montaigne MM | Palm Springs | |
Regular Canvas | $970 | $1,260 | $1,370 | $2,410 | $1,960 |
x Koons | $2,800 | $3,200 | $4,000 | $4,000 | $3,200 |
The bold collection, which includes scarves and leather accessories, hasn’t been without its critics. While some, like the Guardian’s Jonathan Jones, have called the bags “heartfelt homages to great art,” others have likened them to cheap souvenirs sold by museum gift shops and street vendors. Regardless of your stance, it’s hard to deny the strange but jubilant blend of purposeful kitsch and art-world sacred.
LV x Koons ultimately blurs the boundary between fashion and traditional artwork. Of course, fashion houses drawing from art history are not a foreign concept. (Let’s not forget Dolce & Gabbana’s Fall 2013 collection based on Byzantine mosaics!) But this LV collab brings scenes from museum walls directly into the luxury goods of everyday life. Love it or hate it, it forces us to see the Old Masters in a new light, on the very bags and accessories we love.
Tacky or brilliant? We’d love to hear your thoughts on this polarizing collection on BopTalk.
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Updated: June 1st, 2017
Comments
3 Responses to “High Art Meets High Fashion: Louis Vuitton x Jeff Koons Collection”
I love the article , as I always do with your approach. I can’t say the same for this collab. The concept is fabulous but I expected more on aesthetics from Louis Vuitton.
xx @itsmystylediary
The inflated prices are a bit out of line. Canvas with a print on is still canvas!