By: SEBASTIAN PHILLIPS
Art meets retail in the chicest way with Louis Vuitton’s newest Artycapucines collection.
From artworks commissioned by the house’s grandson in the 1920s to collaborations with the likes of Sol LeWitt, Yayoi Kusama, Richard Prince, and Takashi Murakami to the establishment of the Foundation Vuitton in 2014, Louis Vuitton’s track record as an arts supporter is well documented and globally respected. One of the brand’s most popular efforts in this regard is the 2019 introduction of the Artycapucines, a collection of the label’s beloved Capucines bag (named after the Parisian street where the first LV store opened in 1854) reinvented as a canvas for the leading artists of our time to express their innermost musings.
Five years later, the Artycapucines remain as well-liked and in-demand as ever, satisfying tastemakers that range from TikTok influencers in search of their next enviable post to LV diehards with an appreciation for true artistry.
Each Artycapucine is an opportunity for a particular artwork to live beyond the private collection of a billionaire or museum, a prospect that 2023’s chosen artists—which include contemporary leading creatives Billie Zangewa, Ewa Juszkiewicz, Liza Lou, Tursic & Mille, and Ziping Wang—all clearly deserve. The creation of each Artycapucine is an exercise in artisan craftsmanship. Take Juszkiewicz’s contribution for instance. To transfer her 2021 painting, Ginger Locks, onto the purse’s gradated background, a smooth type of calfskin is hand-sprayed with paint. The painting’s striking imagery is then reproduced on the leather using a 3D digital printing technique that captures every detail in ultra-high definition. The same process is used to print the work on the LV logo, which almost disappears into the image, but not quite. The exterior is then accessorized with a string of gold-colored pearls attached to the front of the bag like a draping necklace on a décolletage. Inside, a detachable leather envelope is printed with a detail of the locks from the painting. And voila! A Capucines is now an Artycapucines.
The creative process varied extensively from artist to artist. For the Tursic & Mille version, which features a detail from the duo’s 2021 painting Tenderness, the bag’s silhouette was slightly reshaped with an indent on its base (a first in the history of the Capucines). The rest of the collection has similar stories to tell. Zangewa opted to enhance her 2020 work The Swimming Lesson with embroidery and visible hand-stitching. Lou incorporated textural bead work embossed into soft leather, which was then delicately printed in pastel colors and draped around the bag like a second skin. And Wang decided to go the mini route (her bag is the smallest in the collection so far) with patchwork and marquetry featuring candy motifs.
The 2023 Artycapucines join a prestigious assemblage that reinforces Louis Vuitton’s commitment to the artistic process—this time, through five talented and compelling voices with plenty to say. | us.louisvuitton.com
