We told you so! Earlier this year, here at Dandelion Chandelier we shared our experience with the Louis Vuitton Masters collection, designed by artist Jeff Koons. We raved about how inventive it was, and gave kudos to LV for creating the ultimate luxury product: beautiful, scarce, priced just a tiny bit out of reach, but still attainable, and with just enough options to make the shopping experience fun without being overwhelming. We noted that this is how a luxury brand creates and sells an object of desire, and we urged you, dear reader, to go and see it for yourself. If you happened to buy one of the bags from the original Masters collection, definitely wear it and love it – they are going to be collector’s items. Now comes word that the first Masters collection was so popular that LV and Koons have now released a follow-up: there are 5 new artists now featured on a range of LV leather goods. Don’t miss your chance to see them – as with the first delivery, we suspect that these will fly out the door.
To refresh your memory: Jeff Koons is a contemporary artist best known for his over-sized representations of “Inflatable” flowers, balloon animals, cartoon characters and mirrored surfaces. The original Louis Vuitton Masters collection was based on Koons’ interpretation and homage to five master painters – Van Gogh, Da Vinci, Fragonard, Titian and Rubens – all of whom worked during the Renaissance.
The new collection features six painters from the post-Impressionist period. Represented on this second group of products are the works Reclining Girl by François Boucher (1752); Delightful Land by Paul Gauguin (1892); Luncheon on the Grass by Edouard Manet (1863); Water Lilies by Claude Monet (1916); The Triumph of Pan by Nicolas Poussin (which is an exclusive only for the Maison Louis Vuitton Vendôme) and Ancient Rome by J.M.W. Turner (1839).
The selection of items in this new delivery is the same as in the initial lot, although not every item is offered for every artist. For instance, Da Vinci has 15 pieces from which to choose; Van Gogh and Monet have 12 each; Gauguin and Manet have 9; and Boucher only 3. Some have backpacks, others not.
All of the leather goods feature a gold monogram “serti,” flower shapes, reflective metallic letters and colored trimmings. The leather linings are embossed and printed with gold, and tell the story of the collaboration as if it were a secret message written just for you. Each comes with a bag charm in the shape of a rabbit’s silhouette.
- Handbag options include the Montaigne purse for $4,000; the Keepall 50 bag for $4,000; the Pochette Metis purse for $3,400; the Neverfull tote (which comes with an internal zipped clutch that can be detached and worn by itself) for $3,200; the Palm Springs backpack for $3,200; the Speedy 30 bag for $2,800; the NeoNoe, the brand’s “new modern bucket,” for $3,200; and the Clutch, which has been redesigned with a new chain so that it can be worn as a standalone bag or dropped inside another bag for $1,760.
- Small leather goods include the Zippy zippered wallet for $1,770; the Sarah envelope wallet for $1,620; and bag charms in an array of colors for $585.
- Scarves are available in two sizes: the larger is $1,460 and the smaller is $730.
What does all of this tell us about modern luxury? Among other things, that a big part of winning this game is the ability to move quickly. It’s not quite fast fashion, but we’re impressed that LV and Koons were able to get back into the market for the holiday gifting season with a new batch of products that are going to be hot items, just in time. It’s not Zara or H&M-level, but it’s not bad.
It’s fascinating to see how the legendary design houses are responding (or not) to the rapid pace of change at lower price points: LV with this new Masters collection; Valentino’s response to the trend toward athletic-inspired apparel. We love that not everyone is just following Gucci – it’s a lot better for all of us to see these maisons innovating in very different ways. Originality and daring is good for them, and great for fashionistas everywhere. Bravo.
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