Louis Vuitton 200. Named 006 of 200 visionaries who define our age by Louis Vuitton. '200 Trunks, 200 Visionaries' 2023

To celebrate their 200 year anniversary Louis Vuitton named 200 creatives as visionaries as defining their age.

“Visionaries” included Gloria Steinem, BTS, Drake, a female astronaut, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Pat McGrath, designer Es Devlin, LEGO, architects such as Frank Gehry, Sou Foujimoto and the conceptual artist Kate Daudy.

The company commissioned a trunk from each “visionary” and gave a donation to an educational charity of the “visionary’s” choice. The 200 works travelled from continent to continent over the course of a year, from the house in Asnières where Vuitton founder Louis Vuitton was born, to Singapore, Los Angeles, New York and other places.

The works are now kept in the Louis Vuitton permanent collection.

Daudy’s trunk, numbered 006, for the travelling exhibition was made with her longstanding maker Tomasz Kowalski with locally sourced materials, recycled aluminium and wood cut around the corner from the studio and delivered by bike.

Of all the things Daudy has done this is the one that has most impressed her 3 children, as the company was lavishly generous to the 200 visionaries. With frequent deliveries of flowers, an handmade wooden and leather advent calendar which is a work of art in itself, clothes, and of course monogrammed luggage which is so smart she has hardly the heart to put her own clothes inside.

ENVIRONMENTAL NOTE

Trunk 006 was created with great ethical and sustainable consideration. The materials are natural and locally sourced, and in some cases, have been repurposed from other objects. For example, his legs are made from Sapele wood offcuts from a local kitchen fitter, while the ball joints have been upcycled from old camera tripods. These are entirely free from harmful or toxic chemicals and artificial preservatives.

 As well as using reclaimed and green materials, the work was designed to ensure that the manufacturing process was as efficient as possible. This included making sure that the project could be completed within south-east London, reducing the mileage (and therefore emissions) of individual components. Daudy employed contractors from the local community. For instance, the aluminium sections of the sheep were waterjet cut by a small firm nearby who used digital tools to keep waste to a minimum. The small sheep inside the trunk wear coats of British wool which was carded and combed by a small community in Sussex.

 The work can also be recycled or disposed of sustainably; the upcycled wood is finished using natural oils and preserves. The metal elements are up to 95% recyclable. 

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