Step into the brilliant and fascinating mind of Yayoi Kusama, the legendary 93-year-old Japanese artist whose tumultuous personal life and mental health ironically propelled her career as a prolific artist since 1959.
Here are five fascinating facts (there are more, trust us!) about Yayoi Kusama that if you didn't already know, well, you should!
1. She lives in a psychiatric asylum that she checked herself into voluntarily in 177
2. As a struggling Asian artist in a male-dominated art scene in New York City, she claims that her male peers like Andy Warhol stole her ideas and did not give her due credit for it back in the day
3. She identifies as asexual as she has a fear of sex but is also notorious for phallic content in her artwork
4. At the age of 10, she experienced vivid hallucinations which culminated into her obsession with polka-dots
5. She is rarely seen without her trademark red wig
This is Kusama’s second collaboration with Louis Vuitton. Her first collection with the French luxury fashion house was in 2012 under the creative direction of Marc Jacobs. A decade later, Kusama’s back at Vuitton with a collection that’s bigger and more exciting (we are talking an impressive collection of about 450 pieces), which we had a sneak peek at during the Cruise 2023 collection by Nicolas Ghesquière.
Louis Vuitton Cruise 2023
A highly sought-after collaboration by fashion enthusiasts and collectors, the Louis Vuitton x Yayoi Kusama first drop which will be available in store tomorrow 6 January 2023 (the second drop will be on March 31 2023), features Kusama’s signature polka dots and psychedelic flowers.
Credit: Louis Vuitton
Credit: Louis Vuitton
Here are our top 10 bankable picks from the first drop.