Louis Vuitton releases dotty Yayoi Kusama collection

(CBS/AP) Louis Vuitton is putting a bit of Japanese culture on the arms of its customers, again.

The brand, best known for its leather handbags, unveiled its newest collection, created by Yayoi Kusama and Louis Vuitton creative director Marc Jacobs, on Tuesday. The theme is bold, graphic polka dots - a signature of the artist - offered in a frenzied series of sizes and colors.

Jacobs and Kusama started with inspiration of "obsession and seriality," according to a company statement.

The dots cover shoes, handbags, shirts, skirts and sunglasses, among other items. It also covers  the exterior of the flagship store in New York.

Jacobs met Kusama in 2006. He is an avid art collector and was a fan of Kusama's sculptures and paintings. "The obsessive character and the innocence of her artwork touch me," Jacobs said.

In honor of the new products, Louis Vuitton created a splashy display for the brand's flagship Manhattan store on Fifth Avenue that pays homage to three Kusama motifs: "Beginning of the Universe," "Eternal Blooming Flowers in My Mind" and "Self-Obliteration." The building facade is wrapped in a pattern of dots.

The timing of the product launch and building installation coincides with the Whitney Museum of American Art's new exhibition of Kusama's work.

Jacobs and Louis Vuitton had great success collaborating with Japanese designer Takashi Murakami on a series of pop-art products that became instant must-haves among the fashion crowd.