Louis Vuitton has tapped three urban artists to create unique prints for the brand’s Spring-Summer 2013 collection. The street art creatives have re-imagined the regular giant silk scarf to give it a pinch of fresh unconventional energy.
The women wardrobe piece comes in three different styles by Retna, Os Gemeos and Aiko (“love” in Japanese) with prints, which suit any look and fit any occasion. They can be found in the U.S. store of the brand in particular.
Photo: Retna x Louis Vuitton scarf, www.ilvoelv.com
The scarves featuring stunningly beautiful, vivid prints can be found on the official blog of the brand, www.ilvoelv.com—so far, the label has posted articles about just two of the styles, the ones by Retna and Aiko. The brand invites to learn more about the artists and the visual approaches they used to create the new unique designs.
For instance, Retna applied the watercolour visual style and merged an array of symbols within one picture—the XL motifs are combined with a melting pot of an alphabet, which resemble Egyptian hieroglyphics, Inca signs or Hebrew letters, connecting the present and the past.
Photo: Aiko x Louis Vuitton scarf, www.ilvoelv.com
For her design, Aiko brought together a plethora of visual objects, ranging from pin-up girls under their butterfly masks, and applied a variety of techniques and materials such as drawing, collages, spray, pigments and more (62 colours were used to create the design). While the previous artist combined the past and present, the Japanese creator decided to marry the Western and Eastern worlds, with their cultural symbols (Louis Vuitton’s monogram included) and references. Os Gemeos twins have created an eye-catching, nearly glowing design, which features the repeating sun-like faces that take different positions.
Photo: Os Gemeos x Louis Vuitton scarf, www.freshnessmag.com
“To my eyes, AIKO, RETNA and Os Gemeos, represent the most complete and original expression of the emerging art scene which is coming out of street culture. They transcend their original universe and occupy their places as artists in their own right. Their visual language is expressed in a different way,” commented Jeffrey Deitch, the new director of MOCA Los Angeles, and an exhibition commissioner.
“Retna has painted planes and cars, Os Gemeos has worked on musical instruments, Aiko on clothing. Through the Louis Vuitton project, they have all applied themselves to an exercise of style. A mastery of fusion between creation and tradition, their imaginary world and the technical constraints of production.”