“Paris is always a good idea,” declared Audrey Hepburn in 1953 flick Sabrina, and while it’s since been plastered across the heinous kind of canvases Dunelm and the like love to churn out at any opportunity, the point still stands. More than ever, though, Paris is a good idea right now, as Louis Vuitton throws open the doors to a new exhibition that brings together all of its artistic collaborations under one roof for the first time.

Stepping inside LV Dream, almost 175 years of Vuitton’s trailblazing collaborative history opens up. Stretching from floor to ceiling, footage from iconic shows – like Marc Jacobs’ legendary SS08 collection, which saw the former creative director join forces with controversial artist Richard Prince – are beamed onto gargantuan walls. From there, the exhibition takes it back to the very beginning, as rarely-seen archive pieces are put on show. There’s the OG leather bag that developed to become the Neverfull, the first iterations of those mega travelling trunks, and a whole lot of uber-covetable link-ups between LV, Rei Kawakubo, Yayoi Kusama, Supreme, and loads more. 

Opening up for business on December 12 at the luxury house’s Rue du Pont-Neuf HQ, here’s five more reasons you need to see the show.

IT’S TOTALLY FREE

In case you hadn’t noticed, we’re in the midst of a cost of living crisis and culture right now is suffering – arts venues are closing, nightclubs are going bust, cinemas are struggling, and even if they weren’t plenty of us are having to tighten our belts when it comes to fun activities. Cut to LV Dream, which, unlike some blockbuster fashion shows, isn’t charging an astronomical ticket fee to enter. Instead, it’s totally free to swing by and immerse yourself in what’s inside – as long as you sign up for a specific time slot on its website.

THERE’S A HISTORY LESSON ABOUT LOUIS HIMSELF

Most fans of Vuitton could reel off a long list of standout collections and collabs, but how much do you know about the OG himself? The exhibition travels all the way back to the very inception of Vuitton, when Louis himself arrived in Paris and founded his eponymous label. With there not being many photos of the designer himself in existence, the show kicks off by painting a picture of him through the eyes of a series of different artists, including Alex Katz, Mister Cartoon, and Chinese pioneer Cao Fei, who brings him to life via a big, bolshy digital installation.

THERE ARE SO! MANY! GRAILS! 

Moving past perfume bottles bearing Frank Gehry illustrations from the mid-20th century, through a hall lined by silk scarves bearing Tracey Emin’s overblown scrawls and Sol LeWitt’s linear geometry, you’ll eventually step through into a dark room dedicated to Reinterpreting Icons. Kicking off in 1996, and so successful it came back in 2014, the project saw Vuitton invite a host of artists and designers to rework and reimagine the iconic LV monogram. Those on the list included Karl Lagerfeld, who turned out a punching bag-shaped tote, Cindy Sherman, who set herself up with a full travelling wardrobe, and Helmut Lang’s OG record box, which Virgil Abloh referenced circa his SS22 show, when he created his own version for Goldie’s Metalheadz label. 

Further on, the Bags as Blank Canvas centres around the signature Capucines bag, which a series of collaborators put their own stamp on – from Stephen Sprouse’s often-imitated graffiti daubings, to Jeff Koons’ bastardised Mona Lisa, to Kim Jones’ fire-engine red Supreme iteration. The whole journey serves as a concise reminder of just how ahead of the game Louis Vuitton was when it came to clashing fashion and art. 

Perhaps best of all, though, is the Leather Goods in Fashion space, which is filled to the rafters with two of Vuitton’s most successful collabs, with Takashi Muakami and Yayoi Kusama respectively. With rare and unreleased versions of the cartoon-y, monogrammed pieces that were etched into pop culture lore in the mid 00s, it was difficult to not to reach out and grab one as a souvenir. So legendary was that Kusama collection, that a second one has just been launched.

YOU CAN GET INSIDE REI KAWAKUBO’S BAG

LV Dream is truly imaginative in the way it presents its wares, and in The World According to Rei room, you get the chance to go inside Rei Kawakubo’s bag. No, we’re not talking a Vogue spon-con video moment – come on! – but instead, you’re shrunk down to Borrower size and shoved into one of the hole-y leather bags the pioneering Japanese creative designed for LV in 2014. Also on show are a series of mini ‘party bags’ she envisaged later in 2014 – a whole four years before the tiny bag trend gained momentum thanks to Jacquemus, Telfar, et al. Seriously: her influence! 

THAT SS08 ‘NURSE’ LOOK IS ON DISPLAY 

This is a more of a personal one, but for those who came of fashion age when Marc Jacobs was doing his thing at the helm of Louis Vuitton, then seeing the semi-see-through white dress, coquettish kitten heels, ‘nurse’ hats, and lace masks he sent down the runway as part of one of his landmark shows (SS08) – in which he joined forces with Richard Prince – was a pretty exciting moment. But it doesn’t end there. There are also collabs between Kim Jones and the Chapman Brothers, Nicolas Ghesquière and Fornasetti, and Virgil Abloh and Nigo, as well as a mammoth wall that digitalises each designer’s concept and vision and makes it respond to motion.

THERE’S A V CHIC, V SWEET CAFÉ AND CHOCOLATIER 

…as well as a specially curated gift shop it’ll likely be difficult to control yourself in. As part of its newest collaboration, Louis Vuitton has come together with Maxime Frédéric to create a bougie space in which to enjoy LV-logo patisseries and chocs, as well as a coffee or a glass of champagne. Surrounded by lush plants and with fab views of the Seine, it’s basically an Instagrammers dream. 

LV Dreams runs from December 12 2022 for one year. Grab your ticket here.