Yayoi Kusama has collaborated with Louis Vuitton to create a new collection for the first time in ten years. I thought this would be a good occasion to revive memories of some of the nature of Artist and Luxury brand collaborations. Here we go down the memory lane.

Collaborative efforts between artists and a luxury brand with a sparkle of celebrity culture has been a driving template for the fashion industry for decades. But it should not be misunderstood that Luxury and Art are incomparable. In fact, Art and Luxury share common grounds on many elements. Apparently I was going through one of my favourite books on the topic today "Luxury Strategy" by Jean-Noël Kapferer and Vincent Bastien, which speak on this very clearly.

According to the book, and I rephrase; 

1. Emotion: Fashion shares the ground of emotions with art. Luxury aims to connect with its patron with emotions to create a sense of exclusivity and desirability. Art aims to evoke parallel emotions and feelings through its expression.
2. Creativity: Both Luxury and art thrive on creativity and innovation. Luxury brands constantly innovate to deliver freshness and newness to its patrons. Like artists keep on experimenting with new mediums and techniques, luxury borrows this sentiment to create an enchanting experience with a unique body of works.
3. Craftsmanship: Like an artist creates unique and original art using his skills and techniques; luxury also relies on the craftsmanship of the artisans and high-quality materials that are used to make luxury items. Drawing inspiration from the traditions and using the skill and techniques that are mastered with years of experience luxury brands and artists place high value  on the craftsmanship and quality.
4. Rarity: An artist can create only one original painting. No paintings in the world are alike, even done by the same artist. Similarly Luxury brands create couture and bespoke pieces that are highly sought by collectors. Both art and luxury are associated with rarity and exclusivity
5. Symbolism: Luxury and art are mediums of conveying a deeper message to the community it has garnered. Symbolism is part of a strong messaging, used to communicate values, heritage and the metaphor of things that cannot be expressed in conventional form. Symbols in luxury and art are essential to convey a creative vision.

To Summarise, Art and luxury share the same space in heart and mind when it comes to creative expression and exclusivity it brings to the table with emotional value woven with impeccable craftsmanship.

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