Louis Vuitton has paired up with world renowned artist Jeff Koons to create a line of handbags focusing on old world art masters such as Monet, Gauguin, Manet, Turner and Boucher.  I only discovered this a couple of nights ago while strolling down Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. I’m not trying to be bougie… it’s just that I live a few blocks away and it’s so much fun to take in the holiday decorations. It’s free, fun, fantastic and often inspiring to see the holiday window displays.  Plus this year they’ve brought back the Baccarat Chandeliers that are only hung above  the street during some  Christmas seasons, not all. There’s also a little piped in holiday music, and plenty of areas for photo ops  with the hashtag #OnlyOnRodeo. It’s all about branding, plus I think that retailers are having a tough time getting shoppers into stores since online shopping has become everyones ‘easy out’.

As I was walking by Louis Vuitton’s windows I was initially drawn in by the new color combinations of some of the handbags, particularly the ones inspired by the paintings of Turner. The strong lavender-blue tone mixed with the hazy orange tones of Ancient Rome, really did it for me. As I continued to study the windows, I realized that the large white bunny in the entrance, as well as the handbag tags, were  an homage to Jeff Koons balloon animals that he’s so famous for.

And then… there are the LV’s and the JK’s on the handbags, as well as in the windows, another reference to the collaboration between these two iconic companies.  And lastly, there’s that big blue Christmas ball that isn’t a Christmas decoration at all, but rather an homage to his Gazing Ball Paintings.

Whether you love or hate the new handbags, the holiday windows on Rodeo Drive are a perfect exercise in restraint. They tell the story of the new collection and joint collaboration, while still looking festive from an uniformed point of view.  Bravo!