Veuve Clicquot has partnered with Japanese contemporary artist Yayoi Kusama to collaborate on the French Champagne house’s new prestige Cuvée, La Grande Dame 2012.
This is not the first encounter between these two exceptional women: for a charity auction in Tokyo in 2006, Yayoi Kusama breathed new life into a portrait of Madame Clicquot with her famous polka dot motif. The dialogue between the artist and Veuve Clicquot continues with this latest creative collaboration.
Although the two women are separated by more than 150 years, the destinies of Madame Clicquot and Yayoi Kusama are remarkably similar. Both were born into well-to-do families and faced the rigidity of bourgeois milieux that characterized society in the 19th and 20th centuries. Throughout their lives they both pushed back against accepted codes with an unwavering drive to gain independence…and conquer the world.
Following the untimely death of her husband in 1805, Madame Clicquot took the reins of the family’s Champagne house when she was just 27, in an era when it was unheard of for a woman to head a business. For her part, Yayoi Kusama left her native Japan for America at the age of 28, claiming her independence.
Both women share a constant quest for excellence, never hesitating to surpass limits to achieve their distinctive visions and pursue innovation throughout their careers. “Our wines must be flattering for both the eyes and the palate,” insisted Madame Clicquot, who fittingly became known as “la grande dame de la Champagne”.
Veuve Clicquot called on Yayoi Kusama to revisit the bottle and case of its newly released vintage, La Grande Dame 2012. The artist drew on her signature polka dot and floral motifs in her exceptional reinterpretation. The floral creation is also reprised in an original creation entitled “My Heart That Blooms in The Darkness of The Night” for the magnum format of La Grande Dame cuvée. This limited-edition creation is available in only 100 numbered pieces.
La Grande Dame 2012 by Yayoi Kusama will be available from mid-October. To learn more about this collaboration and receive updates, visit Veuve Clicquot online.
