On the face of it, they could hardly be more different. One is the French luxury house with a heritage dating back 150 years and celebrated for its beautifully engineered bags and suitcases bearing a distinctive yet discreet design. The other is a skateboarding label established in New York in 1994 whose bold, provocative designs and great thumping fist of a logo is beloved of “hypebeasts”.
So, when Louis Vuitton announced a creative partnership with Supreme in 2017, the first of a swathe of luxury-streetwear collaborations, luxury market commentators raised an immaculately plucked eyebrow.
What was Louis Vuitton thinking of? Well, a new customer base, for one thing. Despite these understandable misgivings, the pairing, which sent denim jackets and red and white bumbags down the Paris runway, and has since spawned leather jackets, trunks and even slippers sporting logos of both brands, has been phenomenally successful.