Louis Vuitton Brings ‘Crafting Dreams’ Unique Expression of Objects and Goods to New York

Louis Vuitton is mounting a one-of-a-kind assortment of objects and goods with “Crafting Dreams,” which opened Friday in New York.

Running until May 5, the exhibition unfolds throughout a seven-floor town house on Park Avenue and is available by private appointment. The immersive project brings to life the maison’s savoir faire with a mix of pieces, some of which have never been seen in the Americas until now. While the project was mounted in Los Angeles in 2023, according to the brand, the New York edition is its most ambitious exhibition to-date.

Guests will find a mix of collections including Objets Nomades, hardsided trunks, unique timepieces, fine and high jewelry and a range of exotic leather goods, alongside interactive showcases of special collaborations and opportunities to create personalized pieces with Vuitton’s artisans. A signature feature of Louis Vuitton trunks since the beginning, Malletage, a crisscrossed interior padded lining designed to protect trunks’ precious contents from the twists and turns of travel, is integrated throughout the exhibition. The technique creates a distinctive graphic “X” pattern, which is incorporated in the interior design features transforming the Park Avenue home for the event.

Making its debut in the Americas at “Crafting Dreams” is the Millionaires Speedy 40 by men’s creative director Pharrell Williams. Designed for spring 2024 — his premiere collection for Vuitton — it features 18-karat gold hardware, a diamond-encrusted padlock and a hand-painted monogram finish, which took 65 hours to complete. All offered in a bespoke hardsided trunk, it represents the first collaboration between the high-end métiers of the maison.

Hardsided trunks, the centerpiece of Louis Vuitton’s legacy, include the Capucines Trunk, designed specifically to store the brand’s signature bag of the same name. Art pieces, such as the mosaic mirrored Campana Disco Cocoon chair from the Objets Nomades collection, can be seen for the first time. In time for summer entertainment, a fresh new assortment of new surfboards and tableware is debuting. From the women’s universe, high jewelry and watches by Francesca Amfitheatrof, artistic director of watches and jewelry, are available, including styles from her latest Deep Time High Jewelry collection. Throughout the space, creations by women’s creative director Nicolas Ghesquière, including many one-of-a-kind pieces that have been worn on red carpets by friends of the house, including Emma Stone, Alicia Vikander and more, are on display.

The exhibition will mount a mix of activations during its three-week run, illuminating the history, savoir- faire and creative possibilities of the ultra-rare categories on display. For opening weekend, Louis Vuitton designers from Paris will be on-hand to create entirely bespoke hardsided trunks during one-on-one appointments. Later, a Malletage expert from Louis Vuitton’s historic French workshops will demonstrate the technique live. Clients will have the opportunity to experience styling sessions and gather for exclusive celebrations of a variety of métiers and programs.