A playful and colourful immersion into his world. Here is Jaime Hayón’s invitation. Far removed from other static and, let’s face it, often unwelcoming designs, the Madrid-born artist has enjoyed blurring the boundaries of creativity ever since his debut in the 1990s. A surprising blend of freedom, emotion, a touch of playfulness and contemporary design. It’s his own way of telling the world that design is not merely a service but, rather, a form of art.

Louis Vuitton, excelling in both the worlds of fashion and design, recognised him as the ideal candidate to spearhead the launch of its in-house collections. For the luggage maker, Jaime Hayón has devised a range of multifunctional objects in pop colours: candle holders that double as boxes, lids that become trays and display stands, and a whole host of pieces inviting playful assembly. A framework of excellence that he has imbued with his artistic flair, and which he tells us about.

An interview with Jaime Hayón, following the launch of his ‘Botanik’ collection

Tom Kuntz : In your ‘Botanik’ collection for Louis Vuitton, we see a balance between functionality and sculpture, everyday objects and works of art. It’s as if each piece has its own personality.

Jaime Hayón: When I create, I think about form, textures and sensations. Every object must have a personality. It must make its presence felt, without being too loud or intrusive. There’s a subtle balance: joy, quality and sensory appeal that establish a dialogue with the person standing before it. Each piece has its own identity, expressed discreetly but with intention.

Your designs reveal a fascination with the organic beauty of nature. Yet, by wrapping them in leather and sculpting them, you’re also exercising a form of control. How did you strike the right balance? And is the use of leather a nod to the luggage maker?

J.H.: Nature offers a magnificent chaos: organic, fluid, unpredictable. It’s fascinating! I didn’t want to imitate it, but rather to interpret it. When you observe nature, everything is already perfect. But through design, you can subtly enhance the whole. Leather has allowed me to embrace these forms whilst lending them control and elegance. And, of course, this echoes the House’s heritage, but that isn’t the only thing that creates the connection. It’s also the craftsmanship, the mastery behind every technique and material used in the collection.

Collaborating with a house steeped in heritage like Louis Vuitton means stepping into a story that’s already been written. Did you feel complete creative freedom, or did you see it as a challenge to reinvent the brand’s codes?

J.H.: I always try to be myself, whilst respecting what I’m doing and who I’m working with. I observe what’s in front of me: its DNA, its strength. I try to draw inspiration from it; I listen, but I’m also a creative who constantly challenges myself. That’s my philosophy of life. Working with Louis Vuitton has given me great freedom, but also a framework of excellence and identity that has nourished my approach. It wasn’t about breaking the rules but about evolving them with sincerity and imagination through my own perspective.

Louis Vuitton embodies both tradition and innovation. How did you navigate between these two poles to create a collection that honours the past whilst offering a resolutely modern vision?

J.H.: By using traditional materials in unexpected ways. Ceramics and leather are timeless, but I’ve sculpted them into fluid, evolving forms. The past has given me knowledge: the origins, the history, the lessons of craftsmanship. The present, for its part, has offered me the freedom to experiment, to push the boundaries. It’s essential to look back, to understand the roots and value of things, so that we can use this as a springboard to create something that speaks to our times.

As mentioned, your pieces are transformable. Does this modularity meet today’s demands, where everything must be adaptable, or is it a playful way of inviting people to interact with your creations?

J.H.: Both. We live in a world in constant flux, so adaptability is essential. But I also want to encourage play and discovery. When a lid becomes a tray, or a candleholder takes on a new function, the user becomes part of the story. This dialogue is important. I want people to explore the object, interact with it, and let it evolve alongside them. Modularity brings design to life; it opens the door to the imagination.

Colour is essential in your work. Do you consider it a personal signature?

J.H.: Yes, absolutely. Colour is emotion. It sets the pace, it energises, it softens or amplifies depending on how it’s used. I approach colour in a very intuitive way. It’s never purely decorative; it’s an integral part of each piece’s identity. Over time, it has become a key element of my language as a designer and artist.

Your style perfectly combines elegance and playfulness. Do you think the world of luxury needs more light-heartedness and whimsy?

J.H.: Luxury sometimes takes itself too seriously. I believe in elegance, of course, but it can also be joyful, curious and full of life. These days, people are looking for an emotional connection with the objects around them. My approach is to bring that warmth, that humanity. There’s room for poetry and imagination in luxury. In fact, it needs them.

Because of their modularity with your candle holders/boxes or lids/trays, your objects seem almost incomplete without the owner’s input. Would you say that the user becomes a sort of co-designer of your art?

J.H.: Absolutely. And I say this as an artist working in this field. I believe that design is not just a service; it’s an art form. It enables expression, storytelling and identity. We can create functional and aesthetic objects, but we can also leave a mark, write a chapter in a book, create a memory or an emotion, just as I do alongside Louis Vuitton.

Translated by Bethszabee Garner

Article written by Tom Kuntz, to be found in issue n°11 of Oniriq Magazine.