The Best of Louis Vuitton's New Murakami Collaboration, With Campaign Star Zendaya
The French luxury house brought back the collection, particularly loved by art and Y2K afficionados, with a campaign starring Zendaya. See the coolest pieces and find out how to shop the collaboration.
Just over 20 years ago, Louis Vuitton and Takashi Murakami debuted a legacy-defining collaboration. Across several joint collections starting in the spring of 2003, its items (like the famously multicolored monogram bags and cherries superimposed on the French brand's classic print) were highly sought after at the time of their release, boosted by celebrity fans from Paris Hilton to Naomi Campbell. This held true as they graduated to vintage status, too, further cementing shoppers' appreciation for fashion's dialogue with art. Louis Vuitton and the Japanese contemporary artist have now linked up for another reveal.
Officially dubbed Louis Vuitton × Murakami, the latest collaboration is a re-edition with more than 200 items to be released in two-parts. A wide range of pieces—including the Speedy bag, various wallets, scarves, sneakers, skateboards and more—will be available to shop starting January 1, 2025. These maintain the splashy monogram print and the artist's kawaii characters, or "Creatures from Planet 66." A second drop will be available March 2025, according to the brand, which will feature more products with Murakami's cherry blossoms. Each design echoes motifs from the early aughts collection, but now, it's available on new products.
Zendaya stars in the campaign that's about as Y2K coded as it gets: She rocks a nostalgic mini backpack while receiving a message from Murakami on a flip phone. The Dune actor became an ambassador for the brand in 2023 and has been a yearslong fan of its bags, including the 2000s era drops with Murakami.
"I didn’t really know anything about fashion at that time,” the 62-year-old artist told Vogue in a recent interview, reminiscing on his first collaboration with the LVMH-owned brand, which was then creatively directed by Marc Jacobs. “For the first four years or so I was visiting Louis Vuitton’s headquarters quite frequently, so I remember it being a learning experience for me about how a brand is built."
Murakami, who was born in Tokyo, continues to fill his works with a blend of traditional Japanese art, odes to anime, a sense of childish joy, and sci-fi inspiration. This is what led to his signature characters (seen on the re-edition Capucines bag, for example) and his unique take on Louis Vuitton's logo. "Back in the early 2000s, I told Louis Vuitton that I wanted to bring their world to children in order to expand the market,” Murakami continued with Vogue. "Now, those children are grown up."
Customers can shop the new collection on Louis Vuitton's website and in select boutiques. Keep scrolling to see highlights from Louis Vuitton x Murakami, including character-covered handbags, a dog collar, skateboard, perfume, and more.