FLOWER POWER: Louis Vuitton is welcoming spring with the second drop of the reedition of its collaboration with Japanese artist Takashi Murakami, this time focusing on the Cherry Blossom motif.
Zendaya, the face of the collection campaign, appears in two new collage-style images by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, which juxtapose softly lit cityscapes with Murakami’s smiling pink flower heads and petals. The visuals will break in print worldwide on Saturday.
“This campaign for Louis Vuitton × Murakami chapter two continues the era-hopping celebration of both the re-edition collection’s contemporary relevance and the original collaboration’s status as a seminal moment in 21st-century fashion, collector, and popular culture,” the brand said in a statement.
The French luxury house ignited fervor among fans of the original collection with the relaunch on New Year’s Day, citing a “phenomenal” response to the reedition’s debut chapter. Though Vuitton declined to provide figures, anecdotal reports suggest many items were snapped up during pre-order stages due to strong demand.
The second instalment will be pre-launched online from March 14, before hitting stores worldwide on March 21, just in time for Japan’s cherry blossom season.
The original Monogram Multicolore designs, unveiled at Vuitton’s spring 2003 show under then-creative director Marc Jacobs, set the mold for collaborations between artists and luxury brands.
An instant hit, the designs were worn by “It” girls like Paris Hilton, Kim Kardashian, Jessica Simpson and the fictional queen bee character Regina George in the cult movie “Mean Girls,” generating more than $300 million in sales in one year. The collaboration officially ended in 2010 but remained in stores until 2015.
With a generation raised on the internet embracing the warm glow of Y2K nostalgia, items from the first Murakami collection, and successive installments such as the Cherry Blossom and Monogramouflage lines, have remained in high demand on the resale market, paving the way for a revival.
The Cherry Blossom motif will feature on more than 40 new pieces including Papillon bags, platform sandals and the Courrier Lozine 110 Fleurs trunk. Those featured in the campaign with Zendaya include newly worked versions of two classic Vuitton bags – a Capucines Mini and an OnTheGo in Monogram canvas.
The floral pattern is also displayed across the bottle, packaging and travel case of Vuitton’s Spell on You perfume, as well as on the glass dome of the limited edition Ultimate Flacon.
Items from the second chapter of the Louis Vuitton x Takashi Murakami reedition.
Jean-Marie Binet/Courtesy of Louis Vuitton
Advances in technology mean the motifs are even more vivid and precise this time around, Vuitton said.
Murakami said he was gratified to see the collection has retained its appeal. “I definitely think it’s thanks to the people on the receiving end, especially the hip-hop artists, who continue to love my collaboration with Louis Vuitton, and that made it a very good timing to refresh it,” he said in a Q&A provided by the brand.
The reedition, which follows Vuitton’s revival of its collaboration with Yayoi Kusama last year, comes at a time of stalled growth for the luxury sector overall.
Even Vuitton’s parent company LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the industry’s bellwether, reported a 2 percent drop in revenues in 2024. Sales were flat in the fourth quarter, with its key fashion and leather goods division curtailing its declines.
Pietro Beccari, chairman and chief executive officer of Louis Vuitton, told WWD in December that it was important to maintain a long-term view.
“After a crisis, people are often eager to consume and have fun again. Our aim is to navigate this challenging period, maintaining the momentum needed to uphold our brand’s values and desirability in the meantime,” he said.
“Our role is not to make political statements or act as activists; we are in the fashion industry. While our products may not change lives, they can certainly add an element of fun and create emotions. This collection perfectly embodies that mission,” the executive added.
Louis Vuitton’s Marellini handbag with a Takashi Murakami Cherry Blossom motif.
Courtesy of Louis Vuitton
