Takashi Murakami has the kind of childlike energy that only comes with age and wisdom. One part mad genius, another part curious kid, the prolific artist is one of the biggest names in his field. And—with his hotly anticipated collaboration with Louis Vuitton hitting stores in January—one of the biggest names in fashion.
In hindsight, the artist’s first collaboration with the leather goods brand for spring 2003 was a pivotal moment. It heralded high fashion’s diffusion into all parts of pop culture, and the blurring of lines between creativity and commerce that still defines the industry today. The smiling flowers and cartoon creatures that were splashed across the brand’s monogram bags came at a time when such collaborations were at the cutting edge—and before ‘kawaii’ had entered the mainstream fashion lexicon.
Photo: Courtesy of Louis Vuitton
“I didn’t really know anything about fashion at that time,” he tells Vogue, speaking via video call from his huge, warehouse-like studio in Saitama, just north of Tokyo, where members of his staff mill about in the background. “For the first four years or so I was visiting Louis Vuitton’s headquarters quite frequently, so I remember it being a learning experience for me about how a brand is built,” he says, stroking his silver goatee. “Those 20 years have passed in the blink of an eye.”
In the time since, the 62-year-old has settled into the easy swagger of a man who’s made his mark on the world. “I’m getting older, so I don’t get embarrassed about anything anymore or have any goals left that I want to achieve in the future,” he says. Back when he was tapped by Marc Jacobs to collaborate with Louis Vuitton he was a well-known artist, but nowhere near the prolific icon he is today. “I used to feel ashamed when I turned up to a Louis Vuitton runway show in my shabby clothes, but nowadays I don’t care about that at all!” he laughs.
His new collaboration is a reedition of his first—the familiar flowers, Panda, and his “Creatures from Planet 66” (cute characters with what looks like leaves for hair) are splashed across white and black rainbow-monogrammed bags, accessories, and even a skateboard. The Pochette, Speedy, cardholders, and more reappear, with some featuring hardware updates and ribbon-shaped bag charms. Naturally, there’s also a pet bag—what’s more Y2K than a portable chihuahua?
