Art in fashion

Louis Vuitton Hong Kong. Photo / Supplied

Walk into the Louis Vuitton store on Queen St in Central Auckland and one thing that never fails to impress is how the brand, which oozes traditional style, remains so contemporary. The secret? Its ongoing collaborations with some of the world's greatest artists. These have continued to grow since Marc Jacobs became the company's artistic director in 1997, as he has worked closely with the likes of artists Stephen Sprouse, Jeff Koons, Takashi Murakai and Richard Prince.

Their influences can be seen in everything from fabric in the Louis Vuitton runway collections through to the extensive range of luggage.

Taking this marriage of fashion and art one step further, Louis Vuitton has just opened an exhibition in Hong Kong entitled A Passion for Creation which runs until the middle of August and is part of the Le French May Art Festival. It is a rare chance to see, under one roof, original works by all the different artists through the years and the results of their collaborations with Louis Vuitton.

The company will also be using the event to showcase the plans created by leading American architect Frank Gehry for "The Foundation Louis Vuitton Pour La Creation".

Covering 8900 square metres, this building will be built on the outskirts of Paris and will house a series of galleries designed to accommodate permanent and temporary art collections along with a number of "chapels" for specially commissioned installations.

It is a bold move by the company that will ensure it becomes an iconic "must-see" destination for visitors to Paris in the future. In the meantime, a visit to the Louis Vuitton store here in Auckland and/or their website, will keep design connoisseurs content while we wait.