LOUIS VUITTON SHIFTS GEARS ONCE AGAIN, REVIVING ITS ICONIC COLLABORATION WITH TAKASHI MURAKAMI IN THE FORM OF A JOYFULLY SUBVERSIVE, ART MEETS-LUXE BICYCLE READY TO ROLL DOWN THE SHORE

BY ARCHANA AITHAL ROSE

What began as a trunk maker’s tribute to bespoke travel has, over the decades, evolved into a quietly audacious expansion into the world of luxury sports a move that feels all the more deliberate given Louis Vuitton’s deepening ties to contemporary art. Enter the LV x Takashi Murakami Bike, a limited-edition collectible that dances between functional design and high-end artwork. Reissued as part of the long awaited revival of the maison’s early 2000s collaboration with Japanese artist Murakami, the deliciously hued bicycle arrives as both a nostalgic artifact and modern day flex. Its V-shaped Monogram canvas frame and handwoven rattan basket are lifted by the artist’s exuberant anime-style cherries. It’s a mode of movement that gestures toward the future while winking at the past. In Murakami’s hands, even a bike becomes a canvas, and in teaming with Vuitton, a ride becomes a style statement. Limited to just 100 examples.