We can’t decide if Louis Vuitton is meeting Japanese hip-hop legend, Hiroshi Fujiwara. Or if Hiroshi is meeting trusty old luxury Louis. This latest collaboration marries the ‘godfathers’ of handbags and Harajuku fashion.
Louis Vuitton’s artistic director, Kim Jones, has just helped design a men’s capsule collection alongside Hiroshi Fujiwara. The partnership exudes camaraderie as Jones fondly reminisces on Fujiwara’s influence on his designing aspirations as a kid.
Jones tells WWD, “I’ve known Hiroshi since I was probably about 19. I used to work for someone in the U.K. that was one of the people that imported his brands. And I’ve just been a huge fan of his ever since I was that young,” he continues, “He’s really popular, not only in Japan but everywhere—he has the midas touch, and I just thought it would be really cool to do something with him because he’s been one of my heroes since I was a kid and one of the people that inspired me to be a designer.”
Fujiwara has designed several popular streetwear brands during his career. Hiroshi’s store, The Parking, is located in Tokyo’s Ginza district. Elements from the designer’s raw, neutral toned aesthetic mesh with the motifs of Louis Vuitton’s ‘future heritage’ theme for their fall collection. This latest marriage of the two powerhouses creates a minimally chic line.
And it’s a hit. Fans of both Fujiwara and Louis Vuitton lined up late Tuesday night and then into the wee hours of Wednesday morning to just glimpse the ready-to-wear collection. The first 400 people in line were fortunate enough to secure their shopping spree spots. The other hundreds of customers waited with fingers crossed that the limited edition items wouldn’t sell out before their turn.
The pop-up store at Isetan will exclusively sell the minimalist pieces, featuring four limited edition Monogram Ellipse bags from Louis Vuitton. Featuring the simultaneous logos of both Fujiwara’s brand, Fragment Design, and the LV label, the bags will sell from $1,742 to $2,676.
Pieces from Louis Vuitton’s fall men’s collection are also available at the store, which is expected to close its pop-up doors come July 19th.
