Imagine a punk, rock skateboarder doing tricks and flipping his skateboard in ways that the mind can hardly imagine. Now picture an amazingly beautiful fashion model that is walking down the runway to the best of her ability. So what would happen if these two worlds were to cross? Well, that was the dream and legacy of a man named Stephen Sprouse.

Sprouse was not only a man that believed that the punk world could fit into the fashion world; he made it work. Sprouse was well known for his use of graffiti on clothes and bright coloring schemes in the fashion industry. So why was this such a big success? Designers looked at Sprouse’s creative designs as inspiration of a new look, and they believed his use of neon colors and pop imagery could give the fashion world a different vibe.

   
When Sprouse was younger, many fashion designers approached him about using his ideas for their fashion companies. According to www.nymag.com, in early 2000, Louis Vuitton decided they wanted Sprouse to work with them. Louis Vuitton was one designer however, that picked up on the new vibe and would change Sprouse’s life.
    
One quote from the site stated, “Other bags by other designers were selling for $20; his were selling for $90.”
    
Louis Vuitton and Sprouse worked together on numerous occasions until Sprouse died at the age of 50. Now in 2009, Louis Vuitton has dedicated several events in honor of Sprouse. Louis Vuitton has transformed one of its boutiques into a collage of Sprouse’s work. The company wanted to take a popular spot that Sprouse used to hang out at and give it a Sprouse feel to it. When I say this I mean that the outside walls of the building are spray painted in Graffiti. In the inside, sits a collection of Sprouse’s work for people to view. You can view this at the SoHo boutique in New York as the tribute was launched February 2.
    
Just to give you an idea of how much Sprouse’s Collections are worth. At the SoHo boutique, there were special items that were on sale for viewers to purchase. Louis Vuitton displayed three graffiti skateboards with cases for $8,250 each and 70 T-shirts for $250 each. These items went on sale on a Thursday.
 
 The chief executive officer and North American president of Louis Vuitton, Daniel Lalonde, had this to say in one article at www.wwd.com, “I don’t expect them to last very long. By Friday, there probably won’t be any more left,” stated Lalonde.

It appears that even at $8,250 a pop, these skateboards are worth purchasing as they represent a legend of the fashion world.