The nonagenarian Japanese artist is famous for her immersive works originating from personal obsessions and hallucinations, channelled into otherworldly sculptures, paintings and public art. “At Harrods, we’re bringing Yayoi Kusama to life, placing a 15m sculpture of the artist outside our entrance, where she is seen to be painting her colourful dots across the magnificent façade of our Grade II-listed building,” says Alexander Wells-Greco, creative visual director at Harrods. “‘Crafting Infinity’ also includes playful installations inside the store, spheres of all-surrounding colour and instantly immersive mirrored walls to mesmerise our customers.” Meanwhile, dedicated pop-up spaces host the accompanying collection that was first teased at Louis Vuitton’s Cruise 2023 show, featuring not only bags and leather goods, but the entire gamut of product categories and savoir-faire. From complex embroidery and leather marquetry to limited-edition perfumes, all are Kusama-fied with the artist’s signature flowers, pumpkins and dot art.

Louis Vuitton has supported the arts ever since Gaston-Louis Vuitton (the visionary grandson of the house’s founder) first commissioned artists to create store displays nearly a century ago. It frequently stages fashion shows at the Louvre, sponsors art events, and displays leading artists’ work in its stores. And the 2014 opening of Louis Vuitton’s holding company, LVMH’s Frank Gehry-designed Louis Vuitton Fondation in Paris further cemented the company’s arts-patron status. But what’s particularly noteworthy is the artists the brand chooses to partner with: audacious provocateurs who are not afraid of offending the purists. As Chairman and CEO Michael Burke commented after artist Jeff Koons reproduced a number of old masters on Louis Vuitton bags to much outcry: “People are going to be upset about the sacred entering the realm of the profane. But we like to do things that can be perceived as politically incorrect. If we are getting flak, we think we are doing something right.”

The tactic is paying off. In recent years, a new generation of highly informed fashion enthusiasts have emerged who have been exposed to luxury brands through the lens of contemporary art and streetwear collabs. Where ‘old luxury’ was staid and elitist, today’s young global customer is welcomed with open arms; with visual ideas surrounding us in everyday life, and public art displayed at every turn, these irreverent collaborations act as a gateway to a more culturally inviting world of luxury.

Osman Ahmed, fashion features director at i-D, agrees, flagging the importance of exclusivity and scarcity born of streetwear’s ‘drop’ culture. “When you think of these cult items that get young people queuing outside a skatewear store, you understand that there’s a huge desire for these limited-edition capsules. They create this ‘have to have it now’ fervour. By having these limited-edition artist collaborations, luxury houses mimic the pneumatic delirium that comes with getting your hands on something that’s only available for a short amount of time.”

Louis Vuitton x Yayoi Kusama is available to shop in-store. Find the collection in Luxury Accessories, Ground Floor; Womenswear, First Floor and Menswear, Second Floor.