For the re-edition of the seminal Louis Vuitton x Takashi Murakami collection, the French luxury house is celebrating with remastered versions of Murakami’s anime short films, Superflat Monogram (2003) and Superflat First Love (2009). The 20th anniversary projects takes a look back on two works that helped define their creative partnership, highlighting the artist’s surrealist signature and the playful visual world that emerged from the collaboration.
In Monogram, a young girl is swallowed by a whimsical panda and transported into a vibrant LV universe as she searches for her lost cellphone – similar to the pink flip phone featured in a recent Zendaya promo. Six years later, First Love revisits the protagonist as she re-enters this fantastical world, this time, encountering Louis Vuitton as a young designer.
The first film adopts a classic anime quality, while the second is rendered through a more 3D, video game-like style. United by a kaleidoscope of colors and cast of familiar characters, both films embody the compositional excitement of Murakami’s vision, blending traditional Japanese aesthetics with contemporary pop cultural cues.
With the re-edition collection launching on January 1, 2025, Louis Vuitton x Murakami pop-ups are set to unravel in seven cities around the world. Both films are available online, though a cinematic screening of Superflat Monogram and Superflat First Love will be held at the redecorated Cinema Spazio Etoile in Rome.
Check out Louis Vuitton’s Instagram page for more updates and information.
