Throughout his 16 years as the artistic director at Louis Vuitton, American fashion designer Marc Jacobs heavily contributed to the growth of the fashion house. Jacobs successfully introduced the historic French label to contemporary culture, launching special projects and collaborations that transformed the 19-century born luxury brand into a globally recognized leader in innovation. Intrigued yet? Let’s have a look at Louis Vuitton’s most iconic collaborations!

Stephen Sprouse x Louis Vuitton

During Marc Jacobs's tenure at Vuitton, he collaborated with New York artist and designer Stephen Sprouse first. Since the '70s, Sprouse’s art had paired sophisticated fashion with punk and pop sensibilities, pioneering the love affair between fashion and contemporary art. Invited by Jacobs for the Spring/Summer 2001 collection, Sprouse designed a line of limited-edition handbags, which featured his signature Day-Glo bright, sixties-inspired graffiti. The most notable piece in the collection was the traditional Speedy. Spray painted with the brand’s name, Sprouse defaced the Louis Vuitton monogram for the first time ever. Considered sacred, the house had never allowed it to be altered before. Sprouse's groundbreaking collection marked the beginning of a series of collaborations that merged art and commerce, showcasing the work of other prominent contemporary artists. 

Takashi Murakami x Louis Vuitton

In Spring/Summer 2003, Marc Jacobs called upon Japanese artist Takashi Murakami to redesign the season's accessories collection. Murakami’s vivid palette and playful style infused new color and freshness into Vuitton’s standard colorways, starting with Multicolore Monogram and followed by Cherry Blossom and Monogramoflague. Murakami's bags remained in Louis Vuitton stores for around 13 years, phasing out when Nicolas Ghesquiére took over as artistic director of womenswear. Beloved for so many years, this iconic collaboration has been carried by the most famous fashionistas of the early-'00s and today, including Paris Hilton, Regina George, and Rihanna. 

Richard Prince x Louis Vuitton

Next, for his Spring/Summer 2008 collection, Marc Jacobs collaborated with American painter and photographer Richard Prince. Inspired by cities after dark, Prince turned the classic Vuitton canvas into a watercolor dream. Referred to as the Aquarelle Monogram, he used 17 colors to smudge Louis Vuitton's iconic 'LV' and symbols. Inspired by his Jokes series, Prince also printed texts over a washed out version of the house's monogram and embellished the leather detailing with snakeskin.

Yayoi Kusama x Louis Vuitton

According to Vogue, Marc Jacobs's next and final partnership with Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama was the brand's most significant since it had teamed up with Sprouse in 2001. In 2012, Kusama worked with Jacobs to design an entire line of products, ranging from ready-to-wear to jewelry. Known for her obsessive and bold style, Kusama reimagined Louis Vuitton's monogram, covering it with her signature polka dots. Seriality best describes the collection, which, according to Jacobs, sought to capture Kusama’s endless energy and ability to create an everlasting world through her art.

But, Marc Jacobs has not been the only one to engage in collaborations while heading Louis Vuitton. 

Chapman Brothers x Louis Vuitton

Kim Jones, who was appointed the artistic director of menswear in 2011, also recruited artists to enhance his designs. For Fall/Winter 2013, British visual artists Jake and Dinos Chapman channeled their highly provocative, deliberately shocking style to create scary-cute cartoon animals, known as mountain monsters, for Jones's luggage. Following the line's success, Jones invited the brothers to collaborate with him again for Spring/Summer 2017. Inspired by Jones's childhood in Africa, the collection featured four prints of safari animals, which the Chapmans twisted with their sinister aesthetic.

Supreme x Louis Vuitton

Later, in Fall 2017, Kim Jones outdid himself with one of the largest collaborations in fashion history to date. Despite their formerly contentious relationship, Louis Vuitton and Supreme, a famous skate brand, created 23 pieces together (six of them bags). Joining their simplistic, repetitive logos on red Epi and clothing, the capsule collection flawlessly merged New York street style with Louis Vuitton's French savoir-faire.

Celebrating the Monogram

Three years prior, in celebration of its 160th anniversary, Louis Vuitton brought together six iconoclasts: photographer Cindy Sherman, shoe designer Christian Louboutin, architect Frank Gehry, creative director Karl Lagerfeld, industrial designer Marc Newson, and fashion's maverick Rei Kawakubo. Each visionary created their own limited-edition monogram bag, ranging from a shearling backpack to a punching bag and matching boxing gloves. With only 25 produced, Sherman's "Studio in a Trunk" is arguably one of the most outstanding pieces in the collection. A hand-crafted case, it features 31 colorful drawers inspired by the plumage of her pet macaw. Thanks to the success of this collection, Louis Vuitton later, in 2019, launched another project with six leading artists. Known as the Artycapucines, each was given the opportunity to reinterpret Ghesquiére's Capucines Bag. 

With such a legendary list of collaborations, it is hard to pick a favorite. Need a little help? Head to The Vintage Bar's shop to see the iconic pieces for yourself.