In honor of the Year of the Dragon, Louis Vuitton has unveiled five larger-than-life dragon installations at pop-ups and flagships in Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu.
The dragons, crafted by artisans in China, incorporate key design elements from Pharrell Williams’ first men’s collection for Louis Vuitton, such as pearls, gilded surfaces, and the classic Damier check.
In Shanghai, Louis Vuitton took over a three-story building — which originally housed the local multi-brand store Looknow — with a dedicated pop-up for the men’s spring 2024 collection and an illuminated dragon installation.
A second Shanghai dragon landed at Louis Vuitton’s Qiantan Taikoo Li store. This time, the green dragon, sporting bedazzled fangs, resembles the embroidered version seen on the back of Williams’ souvenir jacket that he had worn during his whirlwind China tour last month.
In Chengdu, Vuitton also installed two green dragons; one at the Louis Vuitton Maison at Chengdu Taikoo Li and another at the adjacent The Hall restaurant.
In Beijing, Louis Vuitton’s dragon comes drenched in gold and can be seen at a temporary space in Sanlitun‘s north district, adjacent to a soon-to-be-unveiled flagship.
The dragon installations and pop-ups reflect a distinctively localized activation plan for William’s first collection as well as a festive initiative to win over the hearts and wallets of Lunar New Year shoppers.
Vuitton unveiled dedicated store concepts simultaneously in more 50 locations worldwide, including a pop-up and 16 windows at Selfridges department store in London and a makeover of its permanent pop-up space in Seoul. The installations will remain in place for a period of one to three months, depending on the location.
In tandem, the brand plans in-store happenings, DJ residencies and food concepts, reflecting Vuitton’s self-described positioning as a “cultural” brand with broad reach across segments including sports, gaming, music and art.
