a

Sotheby’s Institute of Art

MA in Luxury Business 2024

DISSERTATION – Literature Review

Working title: Exploring Perspectives from Artists & Galleries: Challenges, Opportunities, and

Intersections in the Luxury Sector

Word Count: 4292

SIA Student Number: 204531

The synergy of art and luxury has emerged as a significant research topic more recently

as luxury goods companies look to make use of art and art related platforms to further express

the associations of their products with quality and sophistication. This literature review will

focus on understanding the state of knowledge about the association between visual artists and

luxury and the difficulties, prospects, and interactions of such collaborations. This review will

consider different viewpoints and theories to give a comprehensive insight into the existing

nuances and processes in such partnerships.

The Evolving Relationship Between Art and Luxury

The intersection of art and luxury represents a complex and dynamic relationship that has

evolved significantly over time. As At its core, art embodies the purest form of aesthetics-based

creation. Hagtvedt (2020), in the "Research handbook on luxury branding," defines art as works

resulting from the application of creativity and skill to achieve an aesthetic impact. Similarly, in

the article, “The Intertwined nature of art, aesthetics and luxury” the author, Hübscher (2022),

asserts that the conceptualization of luxury is also of crucial importance to understand the

relationships between these domains. The writer further argues that luxury transcends mere

functionality, encompassing characteristics such as hedonic consumption, emotional

gratification, prestige, and high price (Hübscher, 2022). These shared attributes of art and luxury

– emphasizing aesthetics, emotion, and prestige – form the foundation of their intertwined

relationship.

In the book chapter “Andy’s Heritage Collaborations between Fashion, Art, and Louis

Vuitton” the author Titton (2014), indicates that the historical connection between art and luxury

dates back to the early 20th century. Within this historical context, the author contends, that “fine
artists served as a source of inspiration for fashion designers, who incorporated artistic visual

elements (color palettes, shapes, and design principles) into their designs” (Titton, 2014 p62).

Moreover, this relationship intensified with the advent of Pop Art, which catalyzed a more

prosperous interaction between art and fashion. Subsequently, in their article “Fashion and Art:

Critical Crossovers”, Geczy and Karaminas (2012), argue that this relationship helped

disseminate artistic motifs among the public, making art more accessible to those who might

otherwise feel uncomfortable engaging with it.

Furthermore, as the relationship between art and luxury evolved, it began to manifest in

more explicit collaborations and influences. Titton (2014) further expounds this perspective,

arguing that this interaction between art and luxury fashion brands considerably contributed to

the inspiration seen across runways shows to the created designs. Focusing on this assertion,

Titton (2014) states, “fashion shows by designers such as Hussein Chalayan, Viktor & Rolf, or

Iris van Herpen are reminiscent of happenings or performance art” (p61). In essence, this

blurring of lines between art and fashion has created new opportunities for expression and

creativity in both fields, whereby artists acquire platforms to exhibit their creations while luxury

brands broaden the creative aspects of their designs.

This dynamic evolution within this relationship been particularly noticeable in recent

decades. In their article, “How Art and Fashion Collaborations Have Evolved Over the Decades

Cotton (2023) asserts that the collaboration between art and fashion brings an aesthetic authority

and a sense of eternity to luxury brands, serving as a source of knowledge and expertise.

Historically, these exchanges were often seen as transactional, with art lending cultural

preeminence and fashion offering broad visibility. However, as Cotton (2023) points out, the

landscape of this relationship is changing rapidly. As a result, the platforms and audiences for
both art and fashion are evolving into an expansive, accessible, and algorithmically shaped

viewing sphere. This shift is pulling both domains out of their once-rarefied worlds, creating a

"flattening effect" where talents from both arenas form a diverse pool of multi-hyphenate

creatives (Cotton, 2023). In this context, luxury is expected to bring an element of "verticality"

into consumers' lives, legitimizing its essential role.

As scholars further illustrates, the growth in the collaborative efforts between artists and

luxury brands has resulted in innovative collections and provide artists with new platforms to

exhibit their work. As Gerrie (2023) asserts in their article “Collaboration and Experimentation

between Fashion and Art”, by collaborating with artists, adopting images and inspiration from

art and artists, fashion designers incorporate art into their designs and allow more people to see

the art and get to know the artist. In this context, they adopt aspects of the postmodern such as

““Re-presentation,” “intertextuality,” “mimesis,” “appropriation,” and “deconstruction”” which

characterize the elements of modern creativity in the luxury fashion industry, particularly as

related to the realm of art and visual culture (Gerrie, 2023, p31). A notable example of this

dynamic is illustrated by Troy and Tartsinis (2023) in their book, “Mondrian’s Dress: Yves Saint

Laurent, Piet Mondrian, and Pop Art” in the discussion of Yves Saint Laurent's adoption of Piet

Mondrian's color-blocked paintings. According to the authors, the collaboration between Yves

Saint Laurent and Piet Mondrian transformed the artist from a relatively specialized artist into a

household name, demonstrating the power of fashion to popularize art and make it more

accessible to the general public (Troy &Tartsinis, 2023).

The evolution of the art-luxury relationship is not just a matter of aesthetics or marketing;

it reflects broader shifts in consumer culture. Carlotto (2024) through their text, “Luxury brand

and art collaborations: Postmodern consumer culture” argues that these collaborations have
emerged from postmodern consumer culture, where the once-clear distinction between art and

the market has become increasingly blurred. This ambiguity has created an ideal environment for

luxury brands to leverage artistic allusions, enhancing their perceived value and social capital.

As such, as literature points out, the evolving relationship between art and luxury serves

multiple purposes. Principally, it acts as a means to popularize art, to provide support to artists,

and expose diverse audiences to artistic works. Luxury brands actively and intentionally seek

manifest links with art, recognizing the mutual benefits of such collaborations. This symbiotic

relationship allows both domains to expand their reach, challenge traditional boundaries, and

create new forms of expression that resonate with contemporary consumers.

The Strategic Value of Art Collaborations for Luxury Brands

It has been, in the recent past, established that art collaborations are a source of major

form of competitiveness for luxury brands. In the Vogue Business article “How art collectors

became fashion’s top target” Kamath (2024) argues that partnerships between luxury brands and

artists have long been a fundamental element in facilitating engagement with wider audiences.

The author references the collaborative initiatives employed by brands such as Gucci with art

galleries like Tate Modern to showcase their collections while aiming to reach high-net-worth

individuals (HNWIs) (Kamath, 2024). These strategic initiatives create value for the relevant

luxury brands, since they build and enhance their brand image within the prospective markets.

According to Kamath (2024) “Art fairs Frieze and Art Basel have also been attracting a growing

number of fashion players, keen to forge stronger connections with the art world as a way of

proving their cultural cachet and reaching new high-net-worth audiences”. In essence, this show

that a number of luxury brands, continue to effectively exploited art collaborations as a key

method of enhancing the brand value.

study “Art as a means to recreate luxury brands' rarity and value”. In this study, the researcher

focuses on conducting an analysis of the various binding modes that foster a link between art and

luxury focusing on art and some of the main French and Italian luxury brands in an effort to

determine “the role of art in the creation of luxury uniqueness” (Chailan, 2018, p1). As Chailna

(2018) further note these collaborations achieve a sense of uniqueness since they make it

possible for luxury brands to ‘’neutralise the risks arising from industrialisation of luxury, by

reconstructing luxury as exclusivity” (p4). This aspect of strategic value creation was also

explored by Lee et al. (2014) in their research, as they focused on examining the impact that

artwork holds in promoting the prestige value of a luxury brand. Through the application of

quantitative data, Lee et al. (2014) conducted experimental research that aimed to explore the

role of visual art in increasing perceived prestige in luxurious brands. In this study, the

researchers conducted two experimental studies using the Louis Vuitton brand to ascertain the

value effect of art in luxury brands. Through these studies, they concluded that the integration of

art into luxury brands has the potential to influence value and prestige appeal of the brand, noting

“incorporating artwork on luxury brands, luxury brands could help marketers appeal explicitly to

the value-expressive motive rather than the social-adjustive motive for consuming luxury

brands” (Lee et al. 2014, p602). As this study points out the presence of art has a positive

influence on brand image and perceived extension fit for bundled products favorably, which in

turn enhances perceived quality of luxury products. As such, the intended collaborative

environments contribute to the overall brand knowledge which assists in guaranteeing that the

perceived value of the products with a marked, especially amidst stiff market competition.
 In addition, in their study, “Art as strategic branding tool for luxury brands” Jelinek

(2018) discusses the strategic value of the collaborations, with a focus on the branding aspect,

arguing that art partnerships fulfill several key strategic marketing objectives for luxury brands.

The study further claims that these collaborations between luxury brands and art are used “to set

a context and a hype, to remain relevant and upgrade the brand image in order to occupy a

competitive advantage and a different positioning.” (Jelinek, 2018, p1). This notion of the art

collaboration being part of high-value creation marketing strategies is taken further by

Ochkovskaya (2018) in their concept of luxury brand marketing. Based on the evidence

presented collaborations can ‘bring a breath of fresh air” and signal that a luxury brand is

evolving and not stagnating (Ochkovskaya, 2018, p243). Overall, this literature indicates that

these collaborations not only contribute to the refinement of brand image but also mean the

creation of new unique selling propositions for luxury products due to competitive conditions in

the selected industry.

In addition, as research demonstrate, these partnerships also help the luxury brands to

align with culture capital. According to Jelinek, (2018), luxury brands employ art “as a source of

culture, limited collections in cooperation with artists, placing luxury creations in museums,

sponsorships of artistic activities.” (p4). As Marin et al. (2022) point out, there is an opinion

about the idea of artification as a useful approach to increasing luxury perceptions. Through this

form of, artification luxury brand taps into the goal of changing the status of the brand, its

founder and its products with the intention of consolidating the notion of a better-than ordinary

brand whose price and symbolic authority (Jelinek, 2018). In this sense, the study by Marin et al.

(2022) articulates the idea of brand consolidating their offerings through collaborative endeavors,
as it focuses on the question of how attaching an artist’s name to a product affects consumers’

perceptions of the product’s luxury and the value of the artist’s contribution.

Artists' Perspectives and Experiences

The opportunities generated by partnerships between art and luxury brands is an area of

study where the existing literature primarily details the advantages received by luxury brands,

whereas the artists, who create works in such projects, are underrepresented. While the necessity

of the contextualized gap between the examination of the advantages experiences by artists and

brands becomes especially important, given the conflict of interests, research portrays a blend of

perspectives and experiences of artists to this effect. In the study, “Using brand alliances with

artists to expand retail brand personality” Kim et al. (2018) delves into the intricacies of these

collaborations through an investigation of the developing phenomenon within the industry

wherein visual artists engage in brand alliances with fashion brands to leverage the existing

positive associations that each brand offers. According to Kim et al. (2018) in the context

involving personality differences between the visual artists and fashion brand’s personality “it is

not always clear how successful the partnership will be when consumers experience the

alliance.” (p425).

Following this perspective, the article “Where Art Meets Fashion: Exploring

Collaborations Between Artists and Fashion Brands” by Whitaker (2024) expands on the

influence that partnerships between artists and luxury brands holds for both the artists and the

brand, noting the lasting context of these endeavors. As Whitaker (2024) articulates in their

article, “Pieces that blend art and fashion, such as limited-edition designer collaborations, are

often highly coveted and valuable due to their rarity.” In this sense, the experiences of working

with brands that engage a platform for the artist presents lucrative aspect, that is double edged.
Looking at the various collaborations between these two sides, the article provides an insightful

context on the nature of these relationships and how they affect the parties involved (Whitaker,

2024). For instance, the intersection of art and fashion brands, with collaborative initiatives

between luxury fashion brands and renowned artists have contributed to some of the most

sought-after luxury collectibles on the market.

Nevertheless, despite these perks of the intersection, artists have diverse feelings about

engaging with luxury brands from a positive angle to the negative angle. For example, in the

article “An Interview With KAWS” by Lux Magazine in 2022, focusing on the artists experiences

in the industry, Brian Donnelly, known as KAWS, considers these initiatives presenting the

ability to experiment and to expand exposed bases. During the interview, KAWs states, “If I'm

interested in streetwear or fashion or shoes, I dive in. There are so many interesting people doing

interesting things, it would be a shame to limit myself from any opportunities to learn” (Lux

Magazine, 2022). This viewpoint suggests that some artists see these collaborations as

opportunities for creative exploration and learning, rather than merely commercial ventures.

KAWS's perspective aligns with the idea that these partnerships can broaden an artist's practice

and allow them to experiment with different forms of expression. However, it's important to note

that KAWS's positive outlook may not be universal among artists, and the potential impact on an

artist's reputation and future work, as mentioned earlier, remains a consideration.

Furthermore, the collaboration between Takashi Murakami and Louis Vuitton offers

valuable insights into artists' perspectives on luxury brand partnerships. In their article, “Fashion

Curates Art: Takashi Murakami for Louis Vuitton,” Bengtsen (2017) asserts that the

collaboration between Murakami's and Louis Vuitton was driven by a deliberate attempt to blur

the lines between high art and commercial production. In an interview with Numero conducted
by Dan Thawley in 2018, Murakami pointed out to the experience that he had with the

collaboration with Louis Vuitton, admitting that during that time, interacting with Jeff Koons and

Yves Carcelle at the company was influential to his brand. Murakami, says, “I learned a lot about

how to make a brand from him and from them. Branding isn’t just about sales, it’s about the

artist and their personal branding too.” (Thawey, 2018). As such, for him this partnership

presented an opportunity to opportunity to challenge the Western hierarchy of "high art" and

demonstrate that art and commerce could coexist harmoniously. The artist's creation of the "LV

Monolith" painting, which incorporated Louis Vuitton symbols into his fine art, exemplifies this

philosophy. Bengtsen (2017) notes that this collaboration characterized “the exchange of

symbols between the spheres of fashion and art, and between different cultures” (p. 206), thus

making the suggestion that Murakami found the experience creatively stimulating and mutually

beneficial. However, the inclusion of a Louis Vuitton pop-up store in Murakami's 2007

retrospective at MOCA Los Angeles sparked debate about the appropriate boundaries between

art and commerce, highlighting the complex negotiations artists must navigate in such

collaborations.

In contrast, the collaboration between Stephen Sprouse and Louis Vuitton, initiated by

Marc Jacobs in 2001, offers a different perspective on artist-brand partnerships. As reported by

Codignola and Rancati (2016) Jacobs approached this collaboration as an homage to Sprouse's

work, stating, "I tried to take what Stephen had done at Vuitton and then kind of flip it in my

head, and make it Vuitton's work for Stephen, not Stephen's work for Vuitton" (WWD, 2008).

Moreover, in their tribute to Sprouse, Fortune United (2021) notes that approach was an

illustration of the deep-seated respects for the artist's creative vision and a desire to integrate it

authentically into the brand's identity. The success of this collaboration led to a posthumous
collection in 2008, demonstrating how these partnerships can extend an artist's legacy beyond

their lifetime. However, it also raises questions about the commodification of an artist's work and

the balance between honoring their vision and commercial interests.

However, there are also some artists who raise questions about the relevance of adjusting

the method to the form’s aesthetic value. Crompton (2020) conducted an interview with Anish

Kapoor, a British-Indian artist, and published the transcript of their interaction on the Guardian

website, with the title “Anish Kapoor: 'Artists are not makers of luxury goods”. In the published

article Crompton (2020) gives great insights into this tension on the perception of Kapoor that

artists are not creators of luxury product. In this interview Kapoor makes a very important

statement: “We are not makers of luxury goods. I am part of that system too, so I’m not speaking

as an outsider” (Crompton, 2020). Through this statement Kapoor’s perspectives reflects some

tension between art as culture and art as a business. This suggests that there is a need to explore a

deeper and more nuanced understanding of how artists position themselves, and how they

manage to preserve their creative autonomy within these strategic partnerships with the luxury

industry.

Overall, understanding specific incentives that drive such collaborations is multifaceted.

According to Jelinek (2018) brands can take the chance to challenge the audience by presenting

not only something that they expect, but also an artistic performance character, which surprises

using art, culture, such as fashion and provocation. This assertion is further supported by

Ochkovskaya (2018), who observes that "Art brightens up the lives of people who appreciate

visual aesthetics, provokes creativity and imagination and gives moments of joy and happiness."

(p242). However, the artists have to include the contract limitations as well as what is expected
from them and their artwork, because these collaborations may influence the future of their work

a lot, as well as personal reputation.

Challenges and Ethical Considerations

Despite the increasing acceptability of art-luxury processes, there appears to be an equal

measure of critics and challenges. In their article, Zara (2023) provides a critical examination of

these partnerships, pointing out when such partnerships seem unconvincing or inspired by

external pressure. This critique brings to the forefront some issues that may affect the artists and

the luxury brands when such collaborations do not appeal to the people’s sensibilities or when

the work produced is not as good as intended. Additionally, Bai et al. (2009) further elaborate on

what they consider as artistic authenticity in commercial advertising endeavors. Their work

focuses on how designers can work for the corporate world and impose an aesthetic on the work

without compromising their artistic flair. To address these issues, according to Bai et al. (2009),

there is need for solutions that involve specific guidelines and principal etiquette for the

relationships between the artist and brand.

The Influence of Age and Career Stage

Another factor to consider when examining association between artists and the luxury

sector is the involvement of age and career status as factors that will determine if artists will

agree to such partnerships. Cross-sectional studies on artists’ career paths may help inform this

factor settings notwithstanding because few prior studies have examined this element in the art-

luxury connection. In the study “Art for Brand’s Sake? Factors that influence artists’

acceptance of a brand collaboration.” Bomnüter et al. (2018) provides an engaging and well

documented investigation that integrates the aspects of an artist in fostering a collaborative

engagement. Among these variables is the career of the artist, wherein according to Bomnüter et
al. (2018) During the process of the artists’ professional experience, they face various obstacles

and hurdles. The author also over emphasizes that within this industry artists are more likely than

workers within other industries to be self-employed and often are forced to compromise between

the amount of creativity they want in their work and the ability to earn a living.

Addressing this point of view, Delphian (2020) in the book, “Navigating the Art World”

assert that the artist’s and business sides embody equal traits that are relevant to the artistic

career. This is particularly because as Bomnüter et al. (2018) has rightly pointed out, art

characterizes a form of consumer behavior process, wherein artists much like brands are

presented with similar market forces, career management problems, substitution effects and

economic life cycle effects. Despite the fact that there is no definite categorization of artists

because of the outlined nature of their employment, artists are regularly viewed as passing

through an emerging, a mid, and a final career stage of established artists. Delphian (2020) also

mention that while emerging artists are more willing to innovate and take risks in their works for

possible recognition, and consequently, contribute more to the cultural capital, established artists

are capable of reaching more consumers and translate socio-cultural capital into economic

capital.

In this regard, in their study, Seo and Buchanan-Oliver (2015) briefly discuss the

dynamics of change in luxury branding and customer perspectives over the age range. Though

their work concentrates on the ‘consumer perspective’ it implies that the new generation might

have changed perceptions of art and advertisement that could impact on the willingness of young

artists to embrace advertisements.

In addition, Grassi (2020) analyses how art can help to increase consumers’ involvement

within the luxury fashion sector, identifying how different artistic trends and strategies can meet
consumers’ expectations according to the consumer segments. Though this research does not

specifically address the age of artists of luxury brands, these findings indicate that luxury brands

may target artists who are at different stages in their career or different age groups with different

sets of popular art styles.

Collaborative Dynamics and Power Relations

It is necessary to identify the factors and conditions under which artists and luxury brands

collaborate as well as the kinds of risks and benefits that exist within such partnerships in order

to get an understanding of the conditions under which such collaborations occur. Chen et al.

(2022) presents a case of a collaboration between artist Nara Yoshitomo and fashion designer

Stella McCartney where the authors elaborate on the transnational character of many such

initiatives and the challenges associated with transposing cultural and creative identities.

Nevertheless, Codignola and Rancati (2016) expand on the topic of the globalization of luxury

fashion brands in blending with contemporary art similarly, emphasizing on the question of

power relations and correspondingly, possible positive synergy when the cooperation is

balanced. Subsequently, in their study, Crewe (2015) brings the geographical angle, focusing on

how luxury fashion markets are materialized through art in the architectural space. It is for this

reason that this research brings into frame a different dimension of art-luxury partnerships, which

goes beyond the aesthetic design of products to include the entire brand interface.

Theoretical Frameworks and Models

Based on the literature review, for the analysis of this dissertation, I developed the Artist-

Luxury Brand Collaboration Spectrum (ALCS) as an original theoretical framework to deal with

the multidimensionality of collaborations between artists and luxury brands. This framework
compiles several types of aspects recognized in the literature (see Fig 1). These dimensions

include:

 Collaboration Intensity: Starting with little engagement (such as sponsorship) to

high levels of immersion (co-creation of products/experiences).

 Artist Career Stage: Reflecting on how emerging, mid-career, and established

artists interact with luxury fashion brands.

 Value Creation Axis: Exploring the reciprocity of cultural, social and economic

exchange between artists and brands.

 Authenticity-Commercialization Balance: Analyzing how collaborations solve the

problem of how to maintain the creative identity while aiming at achieving the

commercial goals.

 Global-Local Dynamics: Expounding on the dynamism of collaborations in cross

and intercultural contexts.

The ALCS conceptual model assumes that these dimensions are not static, which imposes

dynamism on the nature, outcomes, and perceptions of artist-luxury brand collaborations. For

example, an artist who is interacting very closely with a well-known global luxury fashion brand

might have different authenticity issues as compared to a relatively unknown domestic artist

working in a shallow project. This framework allows for the examination of:

 How their relative positions on the scale influences the perception of the brand

and the artists.

 Cultural dynamics of collaborations and changes that occur in partnerships as a

function of time

 Effects of collaborations on the art and luxury sectors

workplace contexts

Fig. 1. ALCS framework

The application of the ALCS model, will enable researchers to assess typical

partnerships, estimate the possible consequences of future partnerships, and determine the ideal

collaboration strategies for both artists and luxury brands. Furthermore, this theoretical

framework extends the artification theory (Marin et al., 2022), cultural capital (Bourdieu), and

consumer culture postmodernism (Carlotto, 2024) as a more refined approach to explaining the

target phenomenon, i.e., artist-luxury brand collaboration.

As the literature expands into the experiences and context of the relationship between

luxury brands and art, it presents new trends and venues that facilitate innovative and unique

designs. In their article Cotton (2023) describes these partnerships have developed throughout

the decades starting from the simple concepts of sponsorship to more strategic and win-win

relationships. Furthermore, according to Whittaker (2023), in their article, artists have embraced

fashion industries with mutual complex and diverse fashion-art alliances gaining grounds. In this

regard, future collaborations might be even more engaging and adorned with a great integration

of technology in art and fashion.