With Robots And Trunk Towers, Louis Vuitton Goes Big With Osaka Exhibition

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Robotic arms that test the durability of handbags, a pristine swatch of 128-year-old monogram canvas, and snazzy red-carpet dresses custom made for Zendaya and Cate Blanchett are among the surprising artifacts featured in "Visionary Journeys," a major exhibition dedicated to Louis Vuitton opening Tuesday at the Nakanoshima Museum of Art in Osaka.

Showcasing more than 1,000 objects, about a fifth of them specific to Japan, the showcase coincides with the World Expo Osaka Kansai 2025, which has already attracted more than 10 million visitors.

Curated by fashion historian Florence Müller, it tells the story of the French luxury brand across 12 thematic rooms, detailing its foundation in 1854, its key materials, innovations, collaborations and deep roots in travel-related products, from the stackable, flat-top trunks and steamer bags of yore to a Trail messenger bag in Damoflage canvas from Pharrell Williams' spring 2024 collection.

According to Pietro Beccari, chairman and chief executive officer of Louis Vuitton , authentic narratives are resonating more than ever, especially with younger generations.

"It's a period in which people are searching for meaning – and we believe Vuitton has a lot of meaning, authenticity and history," he said in an interview ahead of the opening.

"We feel a need to reiterate our origins, our history – who we are."

Indeed, such are Beccari's convictions about the value of this vehicle for brand storytelling, he personally reserved the Nakanoshima back in 2023, knowing how far in advance such in-demand museums set their programs.

Housed in a huge black cube, the museum boasts a collection of more than 6,000 works of modern and contemporary art and design, and has hosted shows dedicated to Claude Monet, Amedeo Modigliani, Toulouse-Lautrec and Nagasawa Rosetsu since opening in 2022.

"This platform is very important because of Osaka, because of this fantastic museum, and because of the millions of visitors going to Osaka in this period," Beccari told WWD.