Since the beginning of his collaboration with the Maison in 2019, Alex Israel, a multimedia artist in contemporary art, has shared his idealised vision of Los Angeles through the Louis Vuitton Cologne collection. His distinctive style, characterised by vibrant colours and inspired by the Californian lifestyle, has infused the essence of each Cologne. This year, Louis Vuitton and Alex Israel present a new collaboration around the Cologne Perfumes collection. It is an unprecedented invitation to a three-dimensional pictorial stroll along an imaginary boulevard in Los Angeles. With its faithful nods to the city’s typical style, this exceptional piece titled “Ocean BLVD” echoes Alex Israel’s 2022 work “Sunset Coast Drive”. Each Cologne is integrated into this wildly creative street scene and takes the form of contemporary Californian architecture, including references to his chromatic palette. With this unique creation, the artist captures the West Coast ambience—a free and passionate territory—and celebrates the pop universe of the Colognes. It’s a scent journey along the California coast, with its lights, extravagances, and softness.
Crafted in France, this two-meter-long sculpture required over 500 hours of work and the dedication of 20 artisans. Every detail of this imaginary mini city is meticulously crafted and incorporates the Maison’s historical expertise as a trunk maker. From the roofs to the facades, including the palm leaves, each element has been hand-shaped and assembled, celebrating the Maison’s noble materials such as Taurillon leather, Taiga leather, and natural beige leather. A colourful and immersive sculpture at the crossroads of fragrance and exceptional craftsmanship. Alex Israel offers his representation of the ideal day, along the Cologne Perfumes. The journey begins with the Pacific Chill spa, a space dedicated to well-being and vitality, reflecting the spirit of this detoxifying fragrance inspired by the Californian cool attitude. This perfume captures the energies of nature to exalt the senses with notes of blackcurrant, carrot seeds, and aromatic herbs. The spa’s facade, covered in white cowhide embossed with the Monogram pattern, the Maison’s signature leather, echoes the blue and green gradient of the bottle, symbolising the verdant hills and the blue of the sea and sky along the Southern Californian coast. The Pacific Chill spa embodies this desire for horizon and that invigorating breath of fresh air facing the peaceful ocean, while the city gently awakens under a clear sky.
The delightful escape continues at the Surf Shop of On the Beach, a nod to the surfboard signed by Alex Israel, created for the launch of the Cologne that evokes the ecstasy of the sun, the rhythm of the sea, and the gentle warmth of sand on the skin. This fragrance reveals itself through the brilliance of yuzu, the softness of neroli, and the sandy notes of aromatic herbs. Reflecting the bottle, the artist dresses the building in gradients of red and orange that blend into a soft blue, reminiscent of the sky colours at Venice Beach. Golden brass Louis Vuitton rivets add the final touch to the facade. The place embodies the delight of the shore, the call of the open sea, and the beach as a stretch of pleasure, while the sea spray radiates in the brilliant azure and transforms the landscape. Halfway through, we pause at the City of Stars cinema, celebrating this evening in Cologne, a nocturnal fantasy at the heart of a city that never sleeps. A quintet of sparkling citrus fruits—lemon, blood orange, red mandarin, bergamot, and lime—intertwines with Tiare flower. Warmed by sandalwood, a powdery musk base evokes a passion that lasts until dawn. The vintage building, inspired by the 50s with its iconic neon lights and LV Monogram details on the facade, is adorned with pop colours to convey the unique atmosphere of a night in Los Angeles when the setting sun gives way to the city’s lights and those beams that traverse the sky.
Alex Israel invites a detour to the California Dream restaurant, a place that extends this perfect day to watch the evening settle in and revel in the colours of a sunset as the sky turns pink and blue. This stopover pays homage to the Cologne that marries mandarin with a warm, airy ambrette. As night falls, vanilla benzoin envelops the skin in a gentle caress, creating a nocturnal melody. Shrubs adorned with Monogram leaves decorate the entrance. The colours of the place are inspired by the gradient of the bottle, presenting shades of pink and blue, while the roof is covered with pink cowhide. A place to capture the moment and relax in the bliss of summer, while a sense of possibility fills our view to the edges of the endless horizon.
To conclude this excursion in style, there’s nothing like a final plunge into the ocean of senses. The beach lifeguard station in the blue hues of Afternoon Swim offers a chance to imagine a breathtaking view of the Pacific Ocean and feel the energy of the waves. This Cologne embodies a wave of freshness, where bergamot leads to a flow of delights on a deep mandarin wave. Special care is given to the roof in blue Taiga cowhide, topped with a flag bearing the LV logo, and the sand represented in semi-aged natural beige leather, emblematic of the Maison. This iconic Malibu beach tower concludes the whimsical promenade along the Cologne Boulevard, providing a final chance to enjoy the eternal summer.
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