Louis Vuitton launches collection of travel-inspired home accessories
Humberto & Fernando Campana, Atelier Oï, Patricia Urquiola and Marcel Wanders have all contributed to Louis Vuitton's first collection of decorative leather objects for the home.
Called Les Petits Nomades, the small accessories were presented in a grand Milanese Palazzo during Milan design week.
The collection was launched alongside four new additions to the French fashion house's existing travel-inspired furniture and lighting collection, Objets Nomades.
The pieces were all presented at an atmospheric exhibition within the Baroque interiors of Milan's 19th-century Palazzo Bocconi.
Displays included a room with pink balloons covering the ceiling, a dark corridor of mirrors lined with glowing lamps, and a grand hallway strung with hundreds of paper flowers.
Inspired by the existing collection of larger, Objets Nomades, the brand said the gift-sized Petits Nomades are conceived as a more accessible way to "share the spirit of Louis Vuitton".
Objects include a vase crafted from 176 two-tone, leather-covered metal petals.
Created by the Humberto & Fernando Campana, the vase is inspired by South American quesnalia and bromeliad flowers.
Swiss design studio Atelier Oï contributed a series of leather goods including 15 origami flowers to the collection. The Rosace vase and tray featured bi-colored leather relief patterns inspired by the French fashion House’s Monogram.
The studio also designed Flower Field, a cushion embellished with a folded leather pattern – a nod to the Hammock that Atelier Oï previously created for the Objets Nomades collection.
Patricia Urquiola's Overlay bowls are made of four smooth, overlapping sheets of different coloured leather with contrasting edges. The bowls – which come in three sizes – are all individually handmade, making each a one-off sculpture.
Building on his leather Diamond Screen, which he created for the brand's Objets Nomades collection, Dutch designer Marcel Wanders introduced the Diamond Mirror, available in both large and small sizes.
Mounted on heavy silvery brass stands with a marble feet, the Diamond Mirrors each feature a central octagonal mirror circled by 25 smaller triangular mirrors set on a leather backing with contrasting stitching.
While the smaller mirror completes the Petits Nomades collection, the larger mirror joins the collection of larger Objet Nomades pieces.
Other new additions to Objet Nomades include a two-person "conversation" chair by André Fu, who makes his debut with Louis Vuitton.
Featuring swooping leather-wrapped wooden arms, the chair's curved shape is inspired by the movements of traditional Asian ribbon dances.
The Campana Brothers' introduced a new fuchsia and blue version of their bulbous Bomboca sofa, which debuted last year, as did their hanging leather Cocoon chair. This is now available in fuchsia calfskin leather.
To complete the Milan design week presentation, Louis Vuitton also showcased a series of artworks inspired by vintage travel posters, each featuring a designer's objects and home cities.
First created in 2012, the Objets Nomades collection is a series of travel-inspired furniture and lighting. The collection is intended to pay homage to the brand's past bespoke items – such a bed trunk produced in 1874 for French explorer Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza.
Objects range from hammocks to deckchairs and portable lamps all created by world renowned designers such as Barber Osgerby, India Mahdavi and Tokujin Yoshioka.
Photography is by Stephane Muratet.