The Louis Vuitton Time Capsule Exhibition has arrived in Jakarta in time for the brand’s 30th anniversary in Indonesia.The 160 year-old French fashion house showcases the history of the brand most associated with travel gear.
The time capsule exhibition at Senayan City illustrates the journey and creativity of Monsieur Louis Vuitton and creative directors Marc Jacobs, Nicolas Ghesquière, Kim Jones, and recently appointed menswear designer Virgil Abloh.
The Louis Vuitton brand has constantly evolved since its founding in 1854, when it freatured the iconic trunk, to the more contemporary fashion work.
An archive of images shows that the house has never strayed far from travel attire. A stamp, postcard, baggage, trunks, airplane, and roadtrip are among the signatures of the house. The exhibition is captured in six categories: artisans room, the key to the codes, journeys around the world, elegance in motion, magic malle, and icons of the house.
At the entrance, visitors are greeted to a live workshop of the most modern trunk evolution, La Petite Malle bag. Jacqueline Servant shows her skills in making the bag that was produced within four hours. The Artisans Room demonstrates how LV products are carefully crafted with selected leather materials ranging from natural cowhide, epi, and taiga leather, and its timeless empreinte monogramme.
In Key of the Codes, one steps back to the time when Vuitton was founded. One is introduced to a sturdy container with multi-tumbler key devices, layered canvas material, fine-textured leather, and malletage technique that has been developed through the years. Each trunk has a variety of functions that illustrate the must-have travel equipment of the period.
The visitor is invited to explore the brand deeper in the room, Journey Around the World. Steamer bag, Cabin trunk, Aero Trunk and Aviette are among the products that illustrate the brand that has created products for use on the road, train, car, or airplane. It manifests the brand’s consistent top design and the variety of functional, flexible and powerful products to carry during travel.
Louis Vuitton himself began his career as an embalmer, or expert in packaging goods for his royal customers. In Elegance in Motion, many packaging concepts have been created, and customised to suit the lifestyle of his customers. One can see Vuitton creating trunks to store whiskey bottles, perfumes, cosmetics, jewellery, picnic supplies and flowers.
On his journey, Vuitton collaborated with many designers and artist as he liked to travel around the world. His trips created many iconic products which can be seen from the house’s collaboration with Indonesian artist Eko Nugroho, soon after the store was opened in Indonesia in 1988. The LV x Eko Nugroho large scarf is among the house cooperation with other designers and artists such as Rei Kawakubo and Jeff Koons. Each existing work speaks for a particular era with timeless characteristics in Icon of the House.
The last room, Magic Malle is about the brand’s exploration. A wide screen with a big trunk in the middle shows the fashionista’s moments in the house which now is acknowledged as the one of the biggest international fashion houses in the world.
Louis Vuitton Time Capsule Exhibition is on until 11 November at Senayan City, Ground Floor, Jakarta.
