"One of the most depressing illustrations of how far architecture has lost its grip on reality is Frank Gehry's new handbag..."—so begins a charged editorial in the November issue of the international architecture magazine Architectural Review. In the piece, the publication's editor Catherine Slessor argues that the starchitect's recent collaborations with French luxury fashion house Louis Vuitton (primarily the much-hyped Fondation Louis Vuitton contemporary art museum and the sculptural purse Gehry designed for the brand's 160th anniversary accessories collection, but his Louis Vuitton window displays are worth mentioning, too) are troubling examples of architecture abandoning goals of social transformation for shiny vanity projects. Read the full column, republished over at Arch Daily.
· Architecture Has Nothing in Common with Luxury Goods [AR via AD]
· All Fondation Louis Vuitton coverage [Curbed National]