Louis Vuitton embraces indie tactics with Sydney pop-up

The Louis Vuitton pop-up in Westfield Sydney is open from Friday.
The Louis Vuitton pop-up in Westfield Sydney is open from Friday. Supplied
by Dan F. Stapleton

It's a concept most often associated with upstart chefs and emerging fashion designers: take over a vacant, low-key space for a month and showcase your wares to those adventurous enough to seek you out.

But pop-up stores, as they're known, are becoming more popular with large retail brands, which are using them to generate excitement and a sense of immediacy in a fast-paced marketplace.

Now, the Louis Vuitton juggernaut, the revenue of which topped €35 billion ($50 billion) in 2015, has unveiled a one-month pop-up at Westfield Sydney to sell its spring/summer 2017 (SS17) men's pre-collection.

At the helm is Kim Jones, men's artistic director for Louis Vuitton since 2011. Since taking up the role, Jones has been widely praised for boosting the profile of Louis Vuitton clothing, which was long considered secondary to the brand's accessories.

Artistic director Kim Jones is in Sydney for the opening, a sign his company takes the Australian consumer seriously.
Artistic director Kim Jones is in Sydney for the opening, a sign his company takes the Australian consumer seriously. Getty Images

Jones is attending Friday's opening of the Sydney pop-up – a sign that his company takes the Australian consumer seriously.

"Pop-ups allow us to better understand the markets," he tells Life & Leisure, "and to offer an original client experience accordingly."

Pre-collections, which are intended both to build excitment and to tide consumers over in between fashion's winter and summer seasons, seem like a good fit for the pop-up concept. "The pre-collection is literally the prequel," Jones explains, "it is the starting point of the storytelling for the season."

Louis Vuitton's SS17 collection, which pairs African influences and safari shapes with the aesthetics of London punk, was warmly received when it debuted at Men's Fashion Week in Paris in June.

"It's probably one of my most personal collections," Jones says. "I've mixed my childhood in Africa, my affection for the wild and my true love for London, my hometown, and the punk scene that influenced me so much when I was a teenager."

Exclusive to the pop-up: a bag in the  brand's famous brown-checked canvas featuring a feisty rhino.
Exclusive to the pop-up: a bag in the brand's famous brown-checked canvas featuring a feisty rhino. Supplied

The pre-collection, which Jones says "is more about functionality, comfort and must-have wardrobe pieces", features jeans, biker jackets and bags, plus shirts decorated with animal drawings by the Chapman Brothers, a British duo who were nominated for the Turner Prize in 2003.

Jones previously collaborated with the pair for Louis Vuitton's autumn/winter 2013 collection, and says teaming with them again helped inject playfulness into the SS17 range.

While on holiday in South Africa, Jones says, "I found a book at the market featuring the worst illustrations of the local wild animals. I sent it to Jake [Chapman] for fun and the whole idea of the Chapman Brothers' takeover for our next collection became crystal clear. It made sense after the huge success of their 'scary cute' Himalayan creatures from our fall 2013 show."

The Chapman Brothers collaboration has also birthed a worldwide exclusive product for the Sydney pop-up: a Louis Vuitton bag made from the brand's famous brown-checked Damier Ebene canvas and featuring a feisty rhino print. It's just one enticement for Australian fans of the brand who want to feel closer to Jones and his work this season.

From the spring/summer 2017 men's pre-collection, on show at the pop-up.
From the spring/summer 2017 men's pre-collection, on show at the pop-up. Supplied
From the spring/summer 2017 men's pre-collection, on show at the pop-up.
From the spring/summer 2017 men's pre-collection, on show at the pop-up. Supplied
From the spring/summer 2017 men's pre-collection, on show at the pop-up.
From the spring/summer 2017 men's pre-collection, on show at the pop-up. Supplied

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