Louis Vuitton: The Democratic Art of the Store Window
Two hundred years after his birthdate, what started as Louis Vuitton’s box-making and packing workshop is now the world’s largest luxury brand. Elegance, sophistication and style: Louis Vuitton revolutionized the luxury market with its trademark monogrammed bags, eye-catching runway apparel and innovative garments and clothing lines.
The brand’s products aren’t accessible to everyone. Since its advent, the company has targeted upper-class individuals who can afford the expense of Louis Vuitton’s craft-made luxury items. However, in recent decades, Louis Vuitton has made an effort to make the brand more accessible to the public. No, they haven’t decreased the prices of their monogrammed leather bags if that’s what you’re thinking — sadly.
You might have heard of the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris, a legally separate, nonprofit entity exhibiting different modern and contemporary artwork. For LVMH, the parent company of Louis Vuitton, its corporate social responsibility mission is to make art and culture accessible to individuals from all social backgrounds.
Perhaps indirectly, Louis Vuitton has also made the artistic excellence of its brand accessible to any passerby. If you’ve ever walked by any of their stores around the world, you might have noticed their designed storefronts. From the Louis Vuitton Sun on Vendôme 2017 to the bicentennial pixel graph Louis in New York, you don't have to enter a store to view the artistic and creative genius of the brand.
Faye McLeod, the Visual Image Director at LVMH, has been the head of Louis Vuitton’s storefront design since 2012, and her work has never disappointed. She’s designed the store windows and exteriors of hundreds of Louis Vuitton stores around the world, changing the designs of each of them five times a year. Below are some pictures of her notable designs, but check out her Instagram page (@fayedreamsalot) to admire more of her work.
Louis Vuitton created an innovative Damier pixel pattern with his son in 1889. To honor the bicentennial, the New York storefront showcased a pixel image of the young founder.
Image Courtesy: @fayedreamsalot via Instagram
LVMH learned its window savoir-faire in London, and this striking storefront design in Fall 2019 shows how far it has evolved. The splash of colorful LV monograms definitely lit up all of New Bond Street.
Image Courtesy: @fayedreamsalot via Instagram
The Louis Vuitton Sun on Vendôme from the Summer of 2017 could catch any eye from the streets of Paris. The grandeur of this storefront window is a reflection of Louis Vuitton’s elegant and salient style.
Image Courtesy: @fayedreamsalot via Instagram
At the Hong Kong Louis Vuitton store (2019), you look up to find a multicolor rainbow design that showcases McLeod’s intent to celebration of individual uniqueness and all we have to offer.
Image Courtesy: @fayedreamsalot via Instagram
Moving on to the colorful and cartoon-based design of Tokyo’s store in the winter of 2021 — Louis Vuitton Matsuya Ginza Tokyo’s playful storefront would catch the attention of any passerby.
Image Courtesy: @fayedreamsalot via Instagram
This 2020 Bond Street store window makes us feel like we’re living in one of Magritte’s paintings. Celestial and dreamlike, the storefront would make anyone stop on their track on a London night out.
Image Courtesy: @fayedreamsalot via Instagram
Although we know Louis Vuitton for its distinguished luxury clothing items and accessories, their brand is not locked behind store doors. The brand’s storefronts reflect the artistic genius of employees — such as Faye McLeod — who have delivered a universal art experience while passing by Louis Vuitton’s stores.
Strike Out,
Sonria Willis
Notre Dame
