Louis Vuitton Visionary Journeys Osaka, a landmark exhibition at the Nakanoshima Museum of Art, opened its doors on July 15th and will run through September 17th, 2025. Presented in celebration of the Maison’s 170th anniversary and coinciding with World Expo Osaka, this expansive project explores the House’s evolving creative legacy and deep cultural exchange with Japan.
Curated by renowned fashion historian Florence Müller and scenographically designed by Shohei Shigematsu of OMA, the exhibition occupies over 2,200 square meters across the museum’s fifth floor. Structured as twelve themed chapters, the showcase offers a dynamic and immersive storytelling experience that traces Louis Vuitton’s journey from a 19th-century Parisian trunk-maker to a global icon of design and innovation.
Louis Vuitton Visionary Journeys: a narrative told in twelve immersive chapters
At the heart of Louis Vuitton Visionary Journeys Osaka lies the concept of travel — not just geographical but also temporal, emotional, and artistic. Upon entering, visitors encounter a glowing atrium filled with soaring lanterns made from stacked Louis Vuitton trunks covered in Monogram washi paper, a poetic nod to traditional Japanese craftsmanship. This ethereal welcome transitions into the Trunk Hemisphere, a striking dome constructed from 138 archival trunks, reflecting the House’s design ingenuity and symbolizing its global presence.
Among the exhibition’s highlights is the Louis Vuitton and Japanroom, which celebrates the House’s longstanding creative bond with the country. Works by celebrated collaborators such as Takashi Murakami, Yayoi Kusama, Rei Kawakubo, and NIGO® are displayed on floating tatami-inspired platforms beneath mirrored ceilings — blurring the line between installation and reflection, artifact and memory. The result is a serene, dreamlike atmosphere that embodies both Japanese aesthetics and Louis Vuitton’s spirit of collaboration.
Another standout is the Origins gallery, designed as a woven bamboo structure that guides visitors through six key eras of the brand. More than 300 archival artifacts and cutouts are embedded within this organic armature, narrating the Maison’s story from its founding in 1854 to the present day. A nearby gallery titled Expeditions features a full-scale inflatable hot-air balloon and rotating travel trunks, showcasing the House’s imaginative solutions for shifting modes of transport.
Completing the journey is the Collaborations dome, a kaleidoscopic space made of over 1,400 mirrored facets that amplify the impact of Louis Vuitton’s genre-defying partnerships — from Stephen Sprouse’s graffiti bags to the legendary Supreme crossover. Each movement inside this space reshapes the viewer’s perspective, offering a fluid visual symphony of fashion, art, and cultural resonance.
Ultimately, Louis Vuitton Visionary Journeys is more than an exhibition — it’s a sensory voyage into the Maison’s commitment to savoir-faire, experimentation, and storytelling. By weaving together history, innovation, and emotional connection, the Osaka edition offers a singular experience that honors both the past and the visionary futures that lie ahead.
Photography by JEREMIE SOUTEYRAT, courtesy of LOUIS VUITTON