Louis Vuitton took over the Barneys New York building at 660 Madison Avenue for the grand finale of its four-city traveling “200 Trunks, 200 Visionaries” exhibition. Done up in Instagram-friendly shades of bubblegum pink, orange, yellow, red, and blue, the building hosts the exhibition celebrating the brand’s iconic signature trunk legacy.
The main event showcases the 200 trunks celebrating Louis Vuitton’s bicentennial birthday, displayed over three floors of immersive spaces. Louis Vuitton’s original 1850’s design served as a blank canvas reimagined by luminaries from fashion, culture, the sciences, sports, global causes, music, and more. This includes an audio speakeasy containing a trunk converted into 200-track-jukebox by DJ Benji B. Talents including Francesca Sorrenti, Refik Anadol, Willo Perron, and Franky Zapata are showcased exclusively in the NY exhibit.
Banners advertising the exhibition decorate the building’s exterior. Inside, guests are greeted by Monsieur Louis, a massive sculpture of stacked digital trunks flanked by a birthday cake made from more than 30,000 Legos. Down an LED-lit hallway, the labyrinth of exhibition spaces begins in a briefing room where a Magic Box describes the 200 unique transformations of Louis Vuitton’s emblematic trunk, from the minds of talent and friends of the House. Throughout the exhibition floors, each trunk has a scannable QR code so you can learn more about it and the artist.
The basement floor, or The Residency, is where Louis Vuitton’s in-house teams moves to conceptualize and construct window displays. At the end of the immersive exhibition spaces, visitors can see The Workshop, a versatile space that will host educational, cultural, and artistic activities on an ongoing basis.
Additionally, Louis Vuitton reopened Barneys’ iconic restaurant Freds, renamed FREDS x LOUIS, on the ninth floor of the building just for the exhibit.
Louis Vuitton’s “200 Trunks, 200 Visionaries” exhibition is open from 10 AM to 8 PM from October 14th through December 31st at the Barneys New York Building on 660 Madison Avenue.
FREDS x LOUIS will be open from 11 AM to 4 PM for lunch and 4 PM to 8 PM for small bites and Apéritif. For more information, check out the website here. Reservations for the exhibit and the restaurant can be made via online reservation.
