Take a breather today and think about what Louis Vuitton has done for the 200 years. Yes, it has become so much of a legendary brand that rappers have spit fire using its name. Yes, it has survived 20 decades as the purveyor of good taste, so much so that even the TikTok generation is enamoured by it. And yes, it has remained amazingly democratic. The masses aspire to it, the bourgeois can’t get enough of it and even the fashion people who have seen some stuff still consider attending its show an honour.
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Chalk it up to all the creative behemoths behind it in the recent years — Marc Jacobs, Kim Jones, Virgil Abloh and Nicolas Ghesquière just to name a few — but the #1 credit goes to the man, Louis Vuitton himself. And to celebrate his 200th birthday, the French House is unveiling a series of initiatives that document all the things he has done.
Video games with embedded NFTS that have launched; over 200 contributors who have lent their hands to store windows; a large-scale triptych of Louis painted by Alex Katz; a fictionalised novel by French writer Caroline Bongrand about the life and intentions of Louis, published by Gallimard and available in French and English from October; as well as “Looking for Louis”, an unprecedented documentary that retraces the story of the young pioneer. The latter is available for viewing on Apple TV — a documentary that will shed light on Louis Vuitton, from his humble beginnings to his enduring legacy.
This project is called “Louis 200” and if we can be frank, the most democratic activity would be “Louis: The Game” that features Vivienne, the Louis Vuitton mascot, who travels great distances to reach a festive birthday destination. Developed by the same people behind Riot Games (League of Legends), it even includes an NFT element with the House’s artistic directors and digital artist Beeple, who holds the highest-NFT record for his artwork “Everydays: The First 500 Days” for $69.3 million on Christie’s.
And if you’re wondering, yes, BTS will be featured soon to celebrate the 200th birthday of Louis Vuitton. We highly recommend you follow us on the ’gram at @MensFolio for the news.
Once you’re done with this story about the 200th birthday of Louis Vuitton, click here to catch up with our August 2021 issue.
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