Painted Stories: Louis Vuitton Travel Books - Men's Folio
Travel

Painted Stories: Louis Vuitton Travel Books

  • By Vincent Loh

It’s not uncommon to find ourselves swamped with work and other commitments, resulting in the inability to conquer the continents like we’ve always dreamt of doing when we were younger and more carefree. Thankfully, for the gentleman who simply can’t tear himself away from work, Louis Vuitton has created little escapades in the form of its Travel Books collection.

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Enriching the collection annually with new destinations, Louis Vuitton has already published eight of these books to date, covering fashion capitals such as London and New York, as well as popular vacation spots like Venice and Vietnam. Each title holds about 100 to 120 exclusive visuals that offer an artistic way of exploring cities and holiday havens through the eyes of artists. To that end, the brand continually engages renowned and promising artists to depict their adventures in unfamiliar locations through drawings, paintings, illustrations, collages and cartoons.

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This may, two new editions, available in french and English, is added to the list; a fresh take on modern life in Paris by Belgian comic artist Brecht Evens, and an exploration of South Africa by Chinese painter Liu Xiao Dong.

As one of the most prominent contemporary artists in China, Liu specialises in oil painting and works through different mediums, such as cinema photography and literature, to portray socio-political issues. In order to fully depict South Africa, Liu immersed himself in the tradition and culture of the local community, speaking to students soldiers, migrant workers, transsexuals, religious leaders, and restaurant owners to learn more about their lives.

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To celebrate the launch of these two titles, Louis Vuitton will be holding worldwide book signings and exhibitions of the original drawings. The books will be available at all Louis Vuitton stores from this month.

This article was originally published in Men’s Folio Magazine May 2016