It's no secret that the best part of any museum is the gift shop. And though much of the best physical museum store shopping is reserved for those who reside in big cities, some of the best-known institutions in the USA and beyond have made their exclusive products and merch available online.
Modern art museums from London to Los Angeles are teeming with amazing pieces, from steezy totes to decorative skate decks, collectible pins, and on-point interiors. Below, we've browsed some of the most prestigious contemporary art destinations in the world for the best of their product offering, for some decidedly more cultured cops than what you may be used to from Highsnobiety.
Scroll on to view our full selection.
Bags
You may have seen our recent round-up of fashionable totes for men, but these museum store renditions give even the biggest brands a run for their money. Recent finds include a beautiful recycled cotton canvas SFMOMA logo tote made in collaboration with Baggu, a bag that features a Pablo Picasso lithograph originally commissioned by LACMA's Graphic Arts council, and a large, yellow PVC tape tote designed by Simeon Farrar London Studio.
Apparel
Museum merch may sound nerdy, but look hard enough and there's a treasure trove of super stylish sweaters you're sure to find a new favorite in. Don't believe us? The MoMA design store is home to an exclusive collaboration with streetwear staple Champion, while a venture over the East River (or a simple URL change) will lead you to a steezy Brooklyn museum collab with ALIFE.
Accessories
On the accessories front, a classic NY Yankees cap gets the MoMA treatment and can be yours for only $30 – a definite highlight from our museum store finds. Other accessories sure to add some artistic flair to your ‘fits include a pop-art inspired heavy-weight bracelet by Ann Dexter-Jones exclusive to the Whitney Museum of American Art shop, and a band-aid ring hand-formed by artist Michelle Lopez, made as a limited run of only 50.
Skate Decks
The intersection between skate culture and modern art is one best explored at the online stores of the MoMA, Tate, and Guggenheim. Here, you'll find three-deck sets that feature artworks by Yayoi Kusama, iconic prints by NY graffiti legend Jean-Michel Basquiat, and even Ai Weiwei showing the finger to the White House.
Pins
Added to your bags and jacket lapels, museum store pins are a low-key, low-cost way to show off your artistic side. A particularly dope addition for any collector (or graphic designer for that matter) is MCA's oversized Photoshop pin, while Edvard Munch's "The Scream" and William Copeley's protest against the war in Vietnam are equally amazing finds.
Decor
For those looking to recreate museum vibes at home, you'll find everything from sketches and sculptures to coasters, candles, and even furniture online. The Frank Gehry designed Foundation Louis Vuitton is a particularly good destination for homewares, while interesting cops such as Ray Geary's pill explosion sculpture and a smiley-faced mirror from the Whitney will also make for talking points at your pad.
Miscellaneous
Some of our more abstract finds from contemporary art museums include MCA Chicago's "STOP TALKING" cards – 25 white cards that give you the option to ask for silence, in silence. Other artistic oddities include powerbank flex care of Foundation Louis Vuitton, and a transparent umbrella done out in Yayoi Kusama's signature dots.
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