Takashi Murakami Reunites with Louis Vuitton
A sequel to fashion history’s greatest collaboration.
Cover photo: Promotional image for Louis Vuitton x Murakami 2025, featuring the iconic rainbow monogram. Via Louis Vuitton (cropped).
Intro
Amidst growing speculation, French fashion house Louis Vuitton has confirmed a new collaboration with Japanese artist Takashi Murakami (村上隆), set to release January 1st, 2025. The nostalgic re-edition revisits Murakami’s pioneering 2003 collection, often credited with popularizing Louis Vuitton and revolutionizing the fashion industry.
History
When Louis Vuitton’s first creative director Marc Jacobs tapped Murakami back in 2002, Jacobs was in the process of transforming the historic trunk company into a relevant fashion house. High-fashion artist collaborations were a novel idea and altering the brand’s monogram was unprecedented.
Murakami had developed his “Superflat” style as an ironic criticism of Japan’s otaku (geek) culture. Called “Japan’s Andy Warhol”, no one was better qualified than Murakami to bridge the boundaries between art, fashion, and commerce.
“When I was working on that collaboration, the art world was very cold, they found it too commercial,” recalls Murakami. He says, “Now everyone does it.”
The collaboration was an incredible success, sparking new interest in the brand while launching Murakami into global stardom. Murakami’s “Monogram Multicolore” became synonymous with Y2K (2000s) fashion, carried by celebrities including Paris Hilton, Jessica Simpson, and Naomi Campbell. Of the bags, one LV spokesman said, “As they come in, they go right out the door.”
The collaboration lasted from 2003 until 2015, following Jacob’s departure from Louis Vuitton. It is the longest collaboration in the brand’s history and the rainbow bags remain popular on the secondhand market.
According to Jacobs, “It has been, and continues to be, a monumental marriage of art and commerce. The ultimate crossover — one for both the fashion and art history books.”
Collection
The new collection is a testament to Murakami’s enduring popularity. The 62-year-old artist continues to embark on a variety of projects across pop culture and the art world. Just this year, he has enjoyed major exhibitions in San Francisco, Kyoto, and Paris, as well as collaborations with ComplexCon, K-pop group NewJeans, and the late rapper Juice WRLD.
Murakami teased the collection with a new LV trunk sculpture at his recent exhibition Takashi Murakami Mononoke Kyoto; Louis Vuitton also revisited their collaboration with Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama just two years ago, in 2023.
Louis Vuitton x Murakami 2025 consists mostly of bags and accessories — with new silhouettes and refined details — featuring Murakami’s Monogram Multicolore, smiling flowers, and panda character. The new collection also includes bumbags, shoes, and skateboards, with some wallets and purses exclusive to Japan.
Actress and LV brand ambassador Zendaya has already been spotted with a side trunk bag from the 2025 collection. Murakami’s cerises (cherries) and sakura (cherry blossom) patterns are rumored to be released next spring.
Zeitgeist
Modern trends typically follow a twenty-year cycle. Men’s creative director Pharrell Williams reveals that it was the Murakami collaboration that first interested him in Louis Vuitton: “It was a magnet for so many of us who were watching the brand”. As a millennial, I’m personally excited for the opportunity to buy the bags I saw on TV during my childhood. Y2K is back!
The new collaboration comes amidst a major 2% slowdown in the wider fashion industry, largely driven by China. The industry has lost a collective 50 million consumers in the last two years, yet Japan — the world’s fourth-largest economy — remains a key luxury market.
It’s no surprise that Louis Vuitton is revisiting proven successes — even if it means competing with secondhand inventory. For Puck News, fashion journalist Lauren Sherman writes, “everything old that was once sellable is still, hopefully, sellable”.
Novelty
Murakami once proclaimed, “We want to see the newest things. That is because we want to see the future, even if only momentarily.” Upon debut in 2003, Murakami’s LV collaboration was fresh and innovative. Over 20 years later, some of the initial luster seems lost.
At first glance, this recycled “victory lap” of a collection is another symbol of our stagnant sequel culture — Louis Vuitton has also re-released promotional videos from the original collection, lazily “remastered” by AI — yet there’s an obvious truth: novelty fades, art lasts forever.
