Celebrated artist Jeff Koons, known for his comments on pop culture has partnered with Louis Vuitton to recreate some of the world’s masterpieces on a series of bags, hang tags and scarves. Featured paintings include Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, Vincent Van Gogh’s Wheat Field with Cypresses, Peter Paul Rubens’ The Tiger Hunt, Fragonard’s Girl with Dog, and Titan’s Mars, Venus and Cupid.
The project was inspired by a series Koons has been working on called “Gazing Ball” paintings, which also features recreated masters and according to Koons, are themed around having an appreciation for things that occurred in the past (watch an interview with Koons at Louis Vuitton). The bags feature a JK logo stylized like the LV logo.
Adding a modern touch the bags feature the names of the artists splashed across the fronts of the bags using gold hardware, a clever commentary on the concept of luxury branding.
“Pushing its know-how to new limits, Louis Vuitton has employed the most advanced techniques and craftsmanship to faithfully reproduce the artworks on the canvas of the bags,” said Louis Vuitton in a statement to the press. “By re-presenting these celebrated pieces on Louis Vuitton bags, Koons once again invites viewers to consider these works anew, opening the museum to the world and encouraging us to experience the old masters in novel ways.”
Koons is not new fashion world collaborations, nor is this the first time Louis Vuitton has stepped into the art world. Prior collaborations for the celebrated French label include Yayoi Kusama, Cindy Sherman, Olafur Eliasson and James Turrell.
The collection will go live on April 28, 2017.
