Murakami’s style, called Superflat, is characterized by flat planes of color and graphic images involving a character style derived from anime and manga. His panda and cherry blossom design are painted on Louis Vuitton hanbags. However, most of them are limited version, even if a public sale, it’s certain to be sold out. Anyone who is sensible toward fashon can realize the childish allure in his world more or less.

Since first cooperated with designer Marc Jacobs in 2003, Takashi Murakami had made a great contribution to Louis Vuitton brand. Collections of Louis Vuitton in spring/summer season can always bring sweet elements to fashion industry. Like the LV crossover pattern with DOB large-eyed dolls and smiling flowers.

What’s more, under the fresh atmosphere of summer, Takashi Murakami designed a colorful style painting on classical LV monogram. There are 33 colors in one LV leather collection at least, which show delicate changes of vision. Besides, appliance of shiny gold buckles and studs detailings set the whole bag body off to advantage.

If you are tired of the classical monogram just with one single color, you may try the colorful ones as well. They will give you the boost you need to enjoy a colorful moment of life.

Based on such situation, Louis Vuitton is going to release a book, Louis Vuitton: Art, Fashion and Architecture, to give you a detailed look into the various collaborative projects that the brand has been involved in. This book is dedicated to present us the unique creations forged between Louis Vuitton and a growing number of designers from the worlds of art, architecture, design, photography and fashion. The content includes the 400 pages critical essays related to Louis Vuitton contemporary creation as well as illustration with 400 color documents. This book will be published on September 1st in three languages, French, English and Italian.

While the Chairman and CEO of Louis Vuitton, Yves Carcelle, was interviewed, he answered three questions related to these books.

Why publish today a retrospective book on the major collaborations of Louis Vuitton?
At Louis Vuitton, the influence of art has been an obvious inspiration for new products, store architecture, artistic collaborations, and for the Maison’s advertising campaigns. Our will to build and grow our relationship with the contemporary art world has led us to work with numerous artists of our times such as photographers, architects and fashion designers. It was essential for Louis Vuitton to trace, through an enthralling anthology, its most significant artistic collaborations. In this book, the focus remains on artists that have impacted the history of Louis Vuitton.

What is Louis Vuitton’s role in the world of the contemporary creation?
Of all modern luxury brands, Louis Vuitton can claim to maintain the richest and most varied associations with the world of art – indeed, it is a tradition that dates back almost to the origins of the House. This desire to continuously create and reinvent, whilst maintaining and transmitting the history and identity of the brand, has been transformed into multiples collaborations, most of time quite unexpected. Constantly renewed under the influence of Marc Jacobs, Louis Vuitton’s commitment to the arts has recently been underscored by the establishment of the Louis Vuitton Foundation for Creation, announced in October 2006 by Bernard Arnault, Chairman & CEO of LVMH/Moët Hennessy.Louis Vuitton. The future Fondation will be an exciting new space and concept intended to stimulate dialogue with a wide audience and offer artists and intellectuals a platform for discussion, inspiration and reflection. If the brand inspires artists, designers and architects, they, in return, inspire Louis Vuitton. This mutual inspiration is very challenging and productive, not only for the luxury world, but also for the contemporary art world.

How do you explain the success of Louis Vuitton’s collaborations?
Fashion, luxury, art and architecture unite to propose a new vision of the world and take us away from the ordinary. Contemporary art gives us an alternative point of view. Modern architecture, inseparable from the luxury world, plays a key role in setting Louis Vuitton’s name in present time. The fashion industry and its designers give a fresh energy and a unique creativity to the House’s ready-to-wear collections. A contemporary artist, whether he is an architect, a photographer or a fashion designer, often produces unexpected creations. It is a bold challenge for Louis Vuitton and I believe that only a handful of brands have been able to surpass the boundaries to this point between luxury and contemporary creation.

Here are some pictures from the book for your appreciation.

Presented earlier this year at Art Basel, we get a first detailed look at the rugs that Japanese artist Takashi Murakami produced in collaboration with Louis Vuitton. They worked on two designs, both based on paintings by the artist and they come in editions of 20 each. The round flower rug that you see above, comes in both 2 meter and 3 meter diameter. All of these rugs are hand woven at an Indian rug factory with a long and distinguished history.

After you jump you get a closer look at the Takashi Murakami x Louis Vuitton Rugs and also at the production in India.

#gallery-1 {
margin: auto;
}
#gallery-1 .gallery-item {
float: left;
margin-top: 10px;
text-align: center;
width: 33%; }
#gallery-1 img {
border: 2px solid #cfcfcf;
}
#gallery-1 .gallery-caption {
margin-left: 0;
}

Via Kaikai Kiki.

We reported about the launch of the most recent Louis Vuitton x Takashi Murakami leather goods collection. The line was released in Japan end of April with big opening events and for those occasions the French luxury goods brand and the Japanese artist also worked on some special limited edition plush toys and plush toy key jewelry, that was only given out at the launch event. Now you can also purchase the plush toys from Cliff Edge.

More detailed images of the Louis Vuitton x Takashi Murakami Plush Toys follow after the jump.

#gallery-1 {
margin: auto;
}
#gallery-1 .gallery-item {
float: left;
margin-top: 10px;
text-align: center;
width: 33%; }
#gallery-1 img {
border: 2px solid #cfcfcf;
}
#gallery-1 .gallery-caption {
margin-left: 0;
}

After showing you a teaser version a couple of weeks ago with the release of the new Louis Vuitton Superflat First Love leather collection, we can show you today the full version of the video thanks to Fashionologie. Enjoy!

Louis Vuitton will soon be releasing a book, giving you a detailed look into the various collaborative projects that the brand has been involved in. Louis Vuitton: Art, Fashion And Architecture will also come in limited edition Takashi Murakami version.

“Louis Vuitton: Art, Fashion and Architecture offers, for the first time in the luxury brand’s history, a critical selection of the creative exchanges forged between Louis Vuitton and a growing number of designers from the worlds of art, architecture, design, photography and fashion. This richly illustrated anthology is supplemented by critical essays that analyse and shed new light on Louis Vuitton’s commitment during one of the most fertile periods of contemporary creation. Written by international critics from the world of art, fashion and architecture, this work, stretching over 400 pages and illustrated with 400 colour documents, will be released in three languages – French, English and Italian – and will be available in bookshops, published respectively by de La Martinière, Rizzoli NY and Rizzoli Italia.

A deluxe edition exclusively designed for Louis Vuitton by Takashi Murakami will be for sale in Louis Vuitton stores and on www.louisvuitton.com from September 1st 2009.”

Some images from projects featured in the book, along with detailed information on the book follow after the jump.

#gallery-1 {
margin: auto;
}
#gallery-1 .gallery-item {
float: left;
margin-top: 10px;
text-align: center;
width: 33%; }
#gallery-1 img {
border: 2px solid #cfcfcf;
}
#gallery-1 .gallery-caption {
margin-left: 0;
}

LIMITED LOUIS VUITTON EDITION
Deluxe edition designed by Takashi Murakami:
Hardcover with a “LV with Hands” jacket and
a plexiglass slipcase engraved with Damier pattern.
On sale exclusively in Louis Vuitton’s stores
and on louisvuitton.com

Publication date: September 1st 2009
Price: US$130, 125€, £90, ¥17,000
Format: 24 x 31cm
3 leaflets 91/2″ x 121/4″
404 pages, 400 illustrations

BOOKSTORE EDITIONS
Rizzoli USA, English version
Editions de La Martinière, French version
Rizzoli Italia, Italian version
Available in bookstores

Via I Love LV.

I am not a Louis Vuitton employee but let’s say I am very familiar with LOUIS VUITTON products and own multiple things from louis vuitton. There is a huge market for louis vuitton. It’s all in the name. Owning a louis vuitton make you feel chic, but buying a fake means you’re living a lie and it supports a huge counterfeiting industry. People are put in danger to produce such items for a lower cost.

Product Usuals:

Go to the louis vuitton website (louisvuitton.com) and compare the items. If you can’t tell from that these other tips should help. Louis Vuitton never included a yellow authenticity card with any product nor do they attach the tags to any product!!!! The handles are also not covered in plastic or paper!!! Colouring is also a huge clue. The muted mustard coloured monogram on dark chocolate brown can be hard to distinguish. Be careful of  YELLOWISH LV’s and flowers.  Damier Canvas is light brown and dark brown checkered pattern (wallets have the words Louis Vuitton Paris written diagonally in the dark brown square second diagonally to the bottom right hand corner dark brown square) If the item appears to be faded, or not shiny in the picture, chances are it’s a fake. Authentic louis vuitton bags have light tan/flesh (light pink) coloured trim, handles, etc. Any yellowish, brown, or plasticy tans are fake. Yellow stitching is a must on the trim! The LV symbol is never cut off on any product. On any Monogram bag (speedy, papillon) that does not have a base, the monogram canvas should continue and show up upside down on the back side of the bag! A lot of items such as wallets and the Speedy and Papillon are made from one piece of leather. Denim Pleaty advice: There should be a second piece of denim sewn into the side in the shape of a pear. SUNGLASSES being listed on ebay are fake! Louis Vuitton did not start making sunglasses until very recently. If they were real they would be listed at $500+. The pricing of Louis Vuitton and any other designer item is a dead giveaway. Items being sold for much less than 1/2 of the original price means it’s almost 100% fake.

Dead Giveaways of a fake: Yellow authenticity card, attached tags, plastic or paper wrap, low prices

Things to look for in a real: bag/item name, multiple photos, quality stitching, brass hardware, positive feedback, flesh trim, dust bag, brown box (if applicable), smaller items made from one piece of leather, customer feedback

Things to stay away from: sunglasses, baseball caps, shirts/polos, black monogram vernis wallets, Yellowish LVs, authenticity cards, attached tags, items coming from China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, etc…plastic covers, private feedback, one day auctions, no paypal, discounts, description of items like “louis vuitton made in france” (duh!) they are trying too hard to make it seem real, and most of all items under $100!!!

I hope I’ve been helpful! Use my tips and ENJOY your real, high quality Louis Vuitton!!!

To find the name of sellers who sell fakes go to mypoupette.com To further compare items go to eluxury.com or louisvuitton.com.