The man who rocks the runway!
Louis Vuitton pays tribute to the man who transformed graffiti into high fashion.
It’s finally here! Eight years after being seduced by Stephen Sprouse’s iconic graffiti Monogram collection, Louis Vuitton pays tribute to the genius with a fresh expression of creativity run amok, Sprouse was the breed that believed that the true artist never creates for his audience but for himself. Five years after his untimely death, Vuitton sets out to uphold his legacy and that of creativity.
Like the proverbial starving artist, Sprouse’s genius (inspired by no less than the equally wild and wacky Andy Warhol) was initially only recognized by a select sect among whom were his neighbor, rocker Debbie Harry. It was the early 1980s, a time of excess, fashion experimentation and a growing punk scene in New York.
By 1983, the new music scene was in full gear and Sprouse with his psychedelic prints, custom-dyed fabrics and graffiti-etched collections became a darling of fashion editors, buyers and fashionistas of the time.
For all his creative vision however, Sprouse lacked simple business sense. His love of high-end Italian fabrics and his insistency on doggedly following his muse led to Sprouse filing for bankruptcy in 1985. After all, the cheapest item in his collection was a pair of underpants priced at US$500.
Within two years, he was back on his feet, this time with the backing of high-end furniture manufacturer Knoll International. But once again he lost his financial backing. He tried again and again but despite wide media coverage, things never quite worked out.
Sprouse’s greatest claim to fame came when Louis Vuitton Artistic Director Marc Jacobs enlisted him to work on Vuitton’s spring summer collection in 2001. The result, as ardent followers of high fashion no doubt own, was the iconic Monogram Graffiti collection.
Until that moment, Vuitton had stayed with the tried-and-tested, rarely venturing away from the safety of its brown-on-brown canvas. With Sprouse’s help, the canvas took on a new life, and the new handbags covered in splashes of graffiti sold out before they even hit the stores.
Kate Moss with LV Sprouse leopard scarf
The impact that Sprouse’s work had on the brand opened doors for Vuitton to experiment. Each season, alongside Vuitton’s standard monogram canvas were rows of bags and leather goods bearing the stamp of expression.
The new limited edition Stephen Sprouse collection, which is currently available in stores worldwide, revives the spirit of their collaboration through the heavy use of neon colors and abstracts roses.
Bags!
As a tribute to the artist, Vuitton timed its launch with the opening of the Stephen Sprouse exhibit, Rock on Mars at the Deith Projects Wooster Street Gallery, New York. On the first day of the exhibition, the brand’s Soho store carried limited edition Stephen Sprouse T-Shirts and special edition skateboard trunks created specifically for the occasion.
All proceeds from the sales that day were donated to Free Arts NYC, an organization that provides underserved children and families with a unique combination of educational arts and mentoring programs that help them to foster the self-confidence and resiliency needed to realize their fullest potential.
The LV store is marvelous!
In memory of the man who unlocked the creative potential of the brand, Vuitton has pledged to make donations to the Sprouse Estate while renewing the donation made to the Stephen Sprouse Memorial Scholarship Fund at New York’s National Academy for Design. The scholarship Fund was established by Sprouse’s mother in 2005, to be used to help fund after-hours arts eductaion for a student working in the arts during the day.
Like the starving artist whose work is only appreciated after his death, Sprouse’s work has a high demand in vintage stores and continues to fetch high prices on eBay. I have no doubt that the new Vuitton collection will sell out in no time at all.
