It is 9 a.m. on Wednesday, July 11. The corner of Fifth Avenue and 57th Street is crowded, as it always is at this time of the day. Today, however, commuters stop to stare at a life-sized figure of famed artist Yayoi Kusama standing in the Louis Vuitton flagship window. The collection and display are summed perfectly by a passerby saying "How long does she have to stand there for? Oh, it's not actually Kusama. Whatever then, this is boring." Though all stop to rubberneck, it is more for the viewing of a spectacle than for appreciation of an art.  

Being a 5'2" blonde with the face of a teenager, cute is a term with which i am, unfortunately, all too familiar. The word connotes figures of youth - children, puppies, the color pink. Cute walks a very thin line. It can be charming and lively or childlike and void of adult attraction. With her line for Louis Vuitton, Yayoi Kusama strays miles from this border, landing once again in her own world. 

A celebrity in the art world, Kusama is known for her red and white polka-dot prints. Showcased everywhere from New York to New Zealand, her art has inspired idols such as Andy Warhol and Claes Oldenburg. When applied to fashion, however, her prints spend more time conjuring images of Minnie Mouse than avant-guard installation. 

Kusama's collection is immature and sexless while somehow missing the taste shown in the current androgynous trend. Like a Real Housewife of New Jersey in a baby pink track suit, Kusama's collection is inappropriate. Simultaneously cheap on the eyes and harsh on the wallet, it is hard to see what type of customer will be drawn to these dot-spattered pieces. 

 

What do you think of the Louis Vuitton/Kosama collaboration? Are you excited to ogle every piece, or less-than-wowed? Let Neon Tommy know!

Reach Fashion Editor Allison Selick here.