Louis Vuitton collaborates with Murakami for a bold re-edition collection

Growing up with a deep admiration for anime and manga, artist Takashi Murakami has consistently surprised his audience with innovative techniques and his unique ability to blend Japanese traditions with popular culture. Over the years, he has collaborated with various influential artists and designers, including Virgil Abloh, Supreme, Kanye West, Billie Eilish, and J Balvin, winning the hearts of art lovers worldwide.

One collaboration that proved transformative for Murakami was his groundbreaking partnership with Louis Vuitton, initiated 23 years ago. In 2002, Marc Jacobs, who was the creative director for the French design house at that time, invited Murakami to reimagine Louis Vuitton’s iconic monogram collection using his distinctive colour-pop palette. This collaboration, which debuted on the Spring/Summer 2003 runway, featured an array of items—from bags to accessories.

The Louis Vuitton X Murakami collection seamlessly combined the French luxury house’s dedication to creativity, innovation, and craftsmanship with Murakami’s vibrant and imaginative aesthetic. Its success was unprecedented, revolutionising fashion trends and defining an era.

This year marks a monumental occasion for both Louis Vuitton and Murakami. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of their iconic partnership, they are unveiling an extensive re-edition collection that honours Murakami’s signature motifs and characters. This highly anticipated collaboration includes over 170 creations, ranging from city bags and belts to an extraordinary made-to-order Malle Wardrobe with 33 Speedy bags.

The centrepiece of this re-edition is the revival of the Monogram Multicolore, set against a white background on various city bags, including the OnTheGo, The Dauphine Soft, The Speedy 25, The Venice, and The Alma BB, along with small leather goods. The collection also features an additional range of exceptional trunks and accessories like belts and wallets.

Adding a whimsical touch, Murakami’s beloved Superflat Panda character appears across multiple designs, infusing joy into the collection. Even Louis Vuitton’s fragrance line-up receives a playful update, with Murakami’s enchanted Superflat Garden and Superflat Panda gracing the Attrapa-Rêves and Imagination perfume bottles. This re-edition collection celebrates a treasured partnership, redefining luxury art in bold and imaginative ways.

Murakami shares more about his collaboration with Louis Vuitton and reflects on the enduring impact of his work.

Harper’s Bazaar: You are an artist, but you work in a very formal environment. How does such a controlled operation and schedule continuously produce such inspired work? 

Takashi Murakami: Artists are quite similar to athletes, and we always have to give our best performance every day. My job is to create an environment where I can concentrate from morning to night, and I feel like I’m currently living in the best environment I’ve had so far.

HB: Do you use social media? Do you ever feel you spend too much time on social media? Any tips on staying focused and distraction free? 

TM: I’m the type that can’t concentrate. The maximum I can concentrate is probably 20 minutes. So, in order to intermittently breakup my short concentration, I post on social media or watch content.

HB: You’ve done various collaborations with musicians, designers, and brands. What is it you love about a collaboration? 

TM: Well, of course, I have my own things that I want to do, but when other people see my motifs and tell me “I’d like to do something like this,” that opens up a new door for me, so I like being able to experience things in that way. 

HB: When you work with Louis Vuitton’s designers and artisans, what is an added value only they can provide that you wouldn’t be able to achieve without them? 

TM: I worked with Louis Vuitton 20 years ago, and I’ve done many collaborations since then, but I’ve always felt that the Louis Vuitton teamwork the hardest and have the most concentration and the highest quality. Whenever I try to do something similar to Louis Vuitton at my own studio, I realise how hard it is, so I think every aspect of Louis Vuitton, from PR to communications to the ateliers, is truly amazing. 

HB: How does it feel to see your first collaboration with Louis Vuitton, which defined fashion in the 2000s, continue to inspire a new generation and remain a timeless, evergreen influence in the fashion world? 

TM: Our collaboration began because Marc Jacobs—then the artistic director—took notice of me, and the timing of it all really worked out to my advantage. I feel I was lucky. I definitely think it’s, thanks to the people on the receiving end, especially the Hip-hop artists, who continue to love my collaboration with Louis Vuitton, and that made it a very good timing to refresh it.

HB: Your last collaboration was at the very beginning of the digital age, but has social media and the internet changed your creative process? 

TM: I always use cutting-edge technology of some sort so that an idea born in my head can be output in the shortest possible time, and I use new tools and software from time to time. Right at the time of our first collaboration, we had just started using high-powered computers, so I think that also facilitated the original collaboration to run smoothly. 

HB: The creations from your initial collaboration with Louis Vuitton have all become very iconic, notably among Japanese households. What do you think this iconic item means to Japanese culture? 

TM: The very first theme that Louis Vuitton requested for our collaboration was for me to renew the House’s Monogram based on Japanese family crests in preparation for the House’s 150th anniversary. Tasked with something of this significance, I studied a lot about the context of Japanese family crests at the time. In that sense, based on its origins, perhaps it’s only logical that Japanese people end up loving the result. 

HB: What do you think these collaborative bags offer the people who love them? How do you think your bags bring these people meaning and joy? And why do you think it has crossed cultural boundaries and is beloved from across the globe? 

TM: Looking back now, I really feel there were various significances, but at the time I had no idea what kind of brand Louis Vuitton really was, and I didn’t understand the impact of it changing the products’ classic base colour to pure white, for instance. But now, I can see that it changing from something purely chic to something colourful really made a big impact. Since I’m an artist, I’m always thinking from a universal perspective—about how my work will live on even after I die. I think that’s why it’s had a long lifespan. 

HB: Can you explain why you chose the specific motifs from the last collaboration? What was it about each of them that you thought would resonate specifically for the Louis Vuitton collaboration? 

TM: The characters we chose this time are Superflat. When Marc first requested for my work, he told me, “I don’t need any characters. I just want for you to change the emblem.” But midway through, Marc himself drew a sketch, and he copied a panda that appeared in my work and sent it to me. That’s how my own characters emerged inside Louis Vuitton, which is why these iconic characters are being revived this time. 

HB: Why do you think that using the Louis Vuitton Monogram in a gallery show was seen as so controversial and bold by art critics? 

TM: At the time of its release, the contemporary art scene in New York was very conservative, and I think the fusing of art and fashion was not so widely accepted. Street art is a different story, but I remember because of that, when I exhibited my Monogram paintings in a gallery space, everyone was furrowing their eyebrows. 

HB: What are you most excited to share with the world in regard to the re-edition this time? 

TM: Last time when I made the animation of the panda, I thought about the future, which, well, is basically now. From 20 years ago, I was thinking about what it would be like now, and tried to convey a message to the children in the hopes that they’d love my collaboration. I hope that these cute characters will be passed on to the children this time as well, and that they’ll still be cherished 20 or 30 years from now. 

HB: Do you see Takashi Murakami as a brand like Louis Vuitton? In that case, how are you different and how are you similar? What added value do you offer each other and what do you enjoy the most about collaborating with Louis Vuitton? 

TM: Artists tend to be perceived in a similar context to a brand because they create works of art, but in the end, all that matters is if their work—whether it be a painting, a sculpture, or an installation—is good or bad. I personally think it’s fine if the artists’ names ceased to exist, so in that sense, I don’t think we artists are a brand. 

All images: The brand 

This article originally appeared in the January-February 2025 print edition of Harper's Bazaar India. 

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