You know it is something really special when Louis Vuitton sends you an invite to attend an intimate party behind closed doors at its New Bond Street Maison. Naturally I was thrilled to be going and would not have missed it for the world. My love for the iconic French fashion house goes back a long way, and I was there when it opened its doors on New Bond Street back in 2010 – when Marc Jacobs himself played host at its house-warming party. Its history and prestige is something I have long admired, and to be associated with the brand means the world to me. Louis Vuitton has always fostered relationships with great artists as part of its philosophy in supporting art, design, architecture and photography. Upstairs at the New Bond Street Maison is the VIP area made up of a large suite and a book store where artists are invited to participate in its Curated Shelf project by featuring specially selected books. British artist Tania Kovats, who has an artwork called TREE (a 17 metre long wafer thin section of a 200 year old oak tree) on display at London’s Natural History Museum, is the latest to be commissioned. She has chosen 15 editions of a book called The Sea Around Us by Rachel Carson – each with a different front cover.
I met and spoke at length with lovely Tania, who warmly welcomed my conversation. She spoke of her love of sailing and expressed desire to one day sail around the world. Louis Vuitton is sponsoring her latest work Oceans, which involved collecting water from all the world’s seas with the help of individuals living all around the globe, who were drawn in by the idea of bringing all the waters of the world to one place. The exhibition is currently on display at The Fruitmarket Gallery in Edinburgh until 25th May 2014.
It was a delightful evening spent in the company of art lovers, with plenty of champagne and snacks going around. The LV staff were extremely welcoming. It was certainly an evening to remember, and for that I thank Louis Vuitton for its very kind and generous hospitality.
