We visited LV Dream in Paris, the Louis Vuitton exhibition

This publication is also available in: Français English (UK) Deutsch Italiano Español

Between exhibition space, gift shop, and café – pastry shop, the Louis Vuitton house offers a new immersion into its history and the collaborations that have shaped it through the LV Dream event in Paris. A hybrid place that honors the artistic exchanges that have come to marry the craftsmanship of the house with the vision of artists sharing the pioneering spirit of Louis Vuitton. A journey through time, at the crossroads of a museum and a café, filled with creativity, which we were eager to discover, but left us a bit wanting…

How does LV Dream in Paris highlight collective creation?

At a time when houses are beginning to redefine the role of the artistic director and approach creation with a more collective eye, the LV Dream event in Paris fits into this new vision by celebrating over 160 years of artistic collaborations.

Welcoming us through various spaces, the event highlights the inventiveness of the brand and its pioneering spirit through works by artists using its iconic pieces as backdrops. Whether it’s creations on a travel trunk, a bag, a scarf, or signature pastries created for the occasion, LV Dream in Paris emphasizes creation from various angles, in terms of choices of materials, sources of inspiration, and aesthetics.

By giving voice to artists from various movements throughout its history and collaborations, the event presents us with works of modern painting, psychedelic photographs, Art Deco aesthetics, and pieces generated with artificial intelligence. A way to blur the question of time, so present at the Louis Vuitton house, with both timeless and innovative lines.

Cao Fei, Liu Wei, Alex Israel, URS Fischer, Jean Michel Othoniel, Yan Pei Ming, Alex Katz, Refik Anadol, Mister Cartoon… The works of artists and designers who have come to rethink the icons of the house and play with its monogram are revealed before our eyes for LV Dream in Paris. A sense of retrospection, which gives way to creativity, both in the infusion of color on key pieces and in their reinterpretation with new cuts. A reissue of Rei Kawakubo’s collection and her “Bag with holes” make an appearance on our journey in a well-thought-out scenography, echoing the uniqueness of the pieces.

Several corners provide focus on historical collaborations, such as that of the Capucine bag, but also the work of artists like Takashi Murakami or Yayoi Kusama, recently honored by the house in a new collaboration with them, as well as the creation of a statue over 15 meters in her likeness installed in the capital.

The LV Dream event in Paris presents the evolution of the Louis Vuitton house through the various perspectives of its artistic directors and portrays it not as a mere unit, but as a true creative universe built thanks to all these visions that have come together over the years.

LV Dream in Paris: the marriage of craftsmanship and creativity

Beyond the emphasis on the artistic and the creations made with various artists around the house’s pieces, LV Dream in Paris highlights the work and craftsmanship that the house has assimilated since its creation.

Each piece presented reflects the entire thought process that has nourished its design, in order to offer pieces that are primarily practical and suitable for their use. And, to which a strong and elegant aesthetic of Louis Vuitton, which has contributed to the brand’s renown, is married.

The crafting of the pieces confirms the house’s precise gaze on the usages and customs of its clientele, particularly regarding the use of its products. On one hand, we rediscover the work around the trunk, which has been written as a love story with art. While, on one hand, artists have come to decorate it with their creativity, on the other, these pieces have come to wrap works to protect and transport them. As was the case in 2018, during the creation of a trunk for the Rijksmuseum to transport the painting The Milkmaid.

The art of trunk-making shapes a product that serves its clientele, making daily life simpler, all while maintaining elegance. Thus, the Louis Vuitton luggage, some of which are showcased at LV Dream in Paris, has evolved in sync with the development of the means of transportation used, to be as suitable as possible.

Car travel, air travel, then the rise of rail travel… With each mode of transport, its type of luggage, between essentials and accessories to enhance the journey. Bags and picnic baskets have thus been designed to fit into the spare wheel compartment and on the racks for a road trip. Toiletry bags and perfume bottles combine finesse and optimized storage. While some pieces are designed to carry travel essentials when larger luggage is in the hold. Every detail is considered to make the pieces practical while maintaining harmony in aesthetics, and finesse in the cuts.

This universe of travel has enriched the creations of the Louis Vuitton house and has given rise to a whole reflection on the environment that surrounds us during our travels. Thus, some Nomadic Objects imagined alongside artists are revealed before us, including stools, chairs, and folding beds. All linking technical innovations, meticulous craftsmanship, and strong design character.

Pieces nourished by the idea of escape that have made the house’s DNA shine in the 7th art, as was the case in 2007 in Wes Anderson’s film The Darjeeling Limited, for which a set of 11 bags and suitcases was crafted, with the house’s recognizable cut and adorned with motifs inspired by fauna.

A Louis Vuitton souvenir shop with a taste of the exceptional

Like any visit to a museum, a mandatory stop is made at the souvenir shop before leaving. And while visiting the LV Dream event in Paris, you can’t escape this rule! However, here the gift store swaps double-digit prices for those in the 3 to 4 digits, enveloping the space with the standing of the house’s other addresses. Keychains and posters mingle with bags and sunglasses, between iconic pieces and those from the latest collections.

The art of the table also finds its place in this space designed somewhat like a maze, alongside other accessories reflecting the travel universe so dear to the brand, like its travel guides spreading their colors and good addresses.

For lovers of the Louis Vuitton house looking to expand their collection, a pouch for ping pong paddles might catch your eye for your Saturday afternoons, or perhaps a collector’s surfboard to bring your passion into your home.

Featuring numerous products and pieces from the house, the gift store enchants us even more than the exhibition itself, where we would have liked to discover more pieces.

A Louis Vuitton pastry shop in the heart of Paris?

Between two spaces of decorative objects and ready-to-wear from the LV Dream gift store in Paris, a queue forms, gathering the sweet-toothed of the capital wishing to indulge in the chocolate shop created for the occasion.

Imagined in collaboration with the pastry chef from Cheval Blanc, Maxime Frédéric, visitors can discover unique chocolate creations, conceived with the house’s DNA and wrapped in its signature boxes. Various boxes are offered, including bars or assortments of 5 chocolates for 12 €.

For the most indulgent, the pastry chef has devised other treats to enjoy at the Louis Vuitton café – pastry shop. In a space filled with greenery, a selection of pastries adorned with the house’s monogram awaits to be savored. In terms of pricing, expect a certain budget for these “hand-stitched” pastries, with éclairs, entremets, and slices of pie priced between 16 and 18 euros.

The LV Dream event in Paris is a place that fits into the new approach to customer experience by luxury houses. That is to say, a vision of hybrid spaces combining history and museum, shop and café, offering a complete immersion into the universe of a brand, much like the Dior Gallery, which enchanted us more than the LV Dream exhibition in Paris. However, with free entry (with reservation), the event is worth a visit to rediscover the vision of various artists around the house’s pieces and how artistic creation intertwines with Louis Vuitton’s craftsmanship.

You have until November 15, 2023, to discover the place.

Photos: Pinterest