True industry appreciators understand that fashion— from gowns to shoes to jewelry— is art. With its new Artycapucines Collection, Louis Vuitton elevates that concept.
On Oct. 29, the French fashion house will release its third Artycapucines Collection featuring six new internationally acclaimed artists who have transformed the timeless Capucines bag. Named after the Parisian street Louis Vuitton opened his first store in 1854 (Rue Neuve-des-Capucines), the metamorphosis of the bag from blank canvas to personalized art makes it a coveted collector’s item. Just 200 of the limited edition bags will be available worldwide.
Louis Vuitton invited Paola Pivi, Zeng Fanzhi, Vik Muniz, Donna Huanca, Huang Yuxing and Gregor Hildebrandt to take on its feminine, classic bag, resulting in a collection for fans of splashes of color or edgy sophistication.
We all know nothing beats a black-on-black outfit, which would find a perfect complement in Hildebrandt’s take on the Capucines. Showcasing his love of vinyl records and trademark “rip-off” technique, this bag is crafted in black gunmetal and inaldi with actual vinyl records. Admittedly bringing in color, the interior pops in the vibrant pink of Hildebrant’s record label logo.
Just as moody, Huanca based her Capucines off her paintings “Cara de Fuego” and “Muyal Jol,” which serve as investigations into art’s interaction with the female body. Here, metal hoops that hold the handle resemble oversized body-piercing rings as a nod to her aforementioned artistic mission.
Also pulling from previous work, Pivi’s bag is inspired by her 2007 work, "One Cup of Cappuccino Then I Go," and is notable from other bags by its use of safari-inspired pockets on the front. What’s more, the brand heralds Pivi’s Capucines as a “masterpiece of labor-intensive leather marquetry.” In particular, the leopard was first embroidered onto the leather before being overprinted to create the fur-like look and touch.
Equally masterful, the other three Capucines in the collection provide Louis Vuitton devotees vivid colorful works of art from Yuxing, Muniz and Fanzhi that offer mystical, playful or dramatic aesthetics, respectively.
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Ahead of the launch, Louis Vuitton celebrated the new collection on Oct. 20 in Los Angeles with dozens of celebrities and fashion tastemakers. Miranda Kerr and Jamie Mizrahi hosted an intimate dinner at the John Lautner Harpel House to commemorate the third chapter of Artycapucines and brought in the likes of Kate Hudson, Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom, Nicole Ritchie, Rachel Zoe, Dylan Penn, Jennifer Meyer, Joel Madden, Kelly Sawyer and Jasmine Tookes, among others.
See the celebration below.
