Jeff Koons for Louis Vuitton

For its "Masters" Collection, Louis Vuitton has collaborated with artist extraordinaire Jeff Koons to produce handbags and wallets featuring the works of the world's most revered master artists, including those by Leonardo Da Vinci, Vincent Van Gogh, Titian, Peter Paul Rubens, and Jean-Honoré Fragonard! This collection aims to personalize high art, removing the perceived "distance" between master artist's works and the veiwers of that art. Jeff Koons explains that the pieces in this collection "... [T]ouch on the metaphysical: the right here right now and its connection to the past and the future. They’re about shine, the basics of philosophy, passion, what it means to be a human, what it means to be an animal, the idea of transcendence.”

The bags and wallets were created by "painting" the famous works of art onto the classic LV canvas. The infamous LV monogram is superimposed onto the bag in SHINY gold or silver pieces, along with the name of the Master Artist prominently displayed across the front of the bag. Of course, the bag is "signed" by Mr. Koons, making it a true Jeff Koon piece.  To complete the bags, they are trimmed in leather in fun pop colors. The interior design of the bags features a biographical description of the cooresponding Master Artist, a description of Jeff Koons, and an explanation of the work of art depicted on the bag. There are 51 pieces in total including bags, wallets, keychains, and scarves.

This line has been creating a firestorm on social media and blogs. There are many detractors calling this line tacky and ugly. Well, after seeing these bags in person, nothing could be further from the truth! These bags are absolutely gorgeous and made with the utmost attention to detail. These bags are all Made in France, an important attribute for LV collectors! The chosen color palettes of complimentary leather and accompanying gold or silver hardware are sublime.

My sister and I checked out the collection at the Newport Beach Louis Vuitton store inside Neiman Marcus. The SA Allison was very helpful. Enjoy these great pictures from our trip!