David Mancuso's estate "do not approve" of Louis Vuitton's Loft-inspired collection
Family claim the legendary DJ would have "refused" an association with the French luxury brand
The estate of legendary 70s DJ David Mancuso has said it "does not approve" of Louis Vuitton’s The Loft-inspired pre-spring 2023 collection.
The collection, titled "Fall in Love" was revealed earlier this year, with late fashion designer and DJ Virgil Abloh having led the concept.
Fall in Love is described as exploring "the influence between DJs and designers," and takes inspiration from New York's The Loft nightclub — in particular, Mancuso's Love Will Save The Day parties.
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The parties were renowned for their amalgamation of disco, fashion and underground culture — famously eschewing serving alcohol, other beverages or food. Through Love Will Save The Day, Mancuso became notable as one of the first "underground DJs".
Now Mancuso's estate claim they were not contacted about the collection by LV.
"We know David would have refused this association if he was still alive," a representative of Mancuso’s estate told Resident Advisor.
"David's name, property and intellectual property are protected by the family/estate's ownership," they explained.
"David had selected and appointed Colleen 'Cosmo' Murphy, Donna Weiss and Elyse Stefanishin to make these decisions in his absence. Neither party was consulted by LVMH/Louis Vuitton and we are not pleased with the way they dealt with this to date."
"We do not approve of the way they have used David and The Loft's name, reputation and pioneering life's work to market their collection and brand," the spokesperson continued. "We know David would have refused this association if he was still alive."
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Author Tim Lawrence recently released an essay explaining how Louis Vuitton inaccurately interpreted Mancuso's principles.The estate have said that they “mostly” agree with the essay, but add that Louis Vuitton made "numerous factual errors" with “attempts to align themselves and the collection with his life's work."
Louis Vuitton has not responded to the estate's comments.
Read Tim Lawrence's full public letter here.
Becky Buckle is Mixmag's Video and Editorial Assistant, follow her on Twitter
