Le Fer Plat V

Le Fer Plat V, The Flatiron V

Meta-luxury, “luxury beyond luxury,” is a term coined by Manfredi Ricca and Rebecca Robins which observes a cultural and economic paradigm of excellence based on purpose, knowledge, timelessness, and unique achievement through the four pillars of focus, craftsmanship, history and rarity. The thesis relies on a historical and theoretical framework looking at wellness from a psychological, emotional, and sustainable perspective. The project entails a hypothesis that applies the meta-luxury guidelines to a luxury brand hospitality extension by telling the story of the "meta-luxury" experience. The theme, relying on the theory of heterotopia, harmoniously combines a framework of building, brand establishment, as well as aesthetics aligned from the same era in a modernized setting. The project is a Louis Vuitton brand expansion into hospitality, the first Louis Vuitton boutique hotel, namely Le Fer Plat V, The Flatiron V.

Design Concept: East Meets West

Japan opened to the West in 1854, the same time Louis Vuitton was founded. In the Exposition Universelle in 1867, Japanese art was introduced to Europe, referred to as Japonisme. The concept of East Meets West draws on the inspiration of japonisme, in materials and textures, the meta culture of urushi, and pattern language. The concept desires to create a deeper connection with japonisme and the "mon"-ogram as the sense of a universal power, and timelessness. The Japanese "mon," a tradition of Japanese family crests are speculated to be the inspiration of the monogram motif. With this intent, japonisme and meta-luxury merge in a Louis Vuitton context. It is also a nod to the alliance the company formed with Japan in 1978 which lead to the international establishments and globalization of Louis Vuitton.