Louis Vuitton Unveils The Fourth Edition Of Artycapucines

Fashion and art have always been closely intertwined, and it’s always interesting to see how artists interpret the codes of a fashion house in collaborations. Louis Vuitton’s Artycapucines Collection takes this further by commissioning six artists — Amélie Bertrand, Daniel Buren, Peter Marino, Park Seo-Bo, Ugo Rondinone, and Kennedy Yanko — to create wearable art on a specific canvas: the Capucines bag. In the talented hands of these leading contemporary artists, the iconic bag takes on wildly different looks.

Kennedy Yanko transformed the Capucine into a sculptural object that echoes her work, which she crafts in metal and “paint skin.” Her Artycapucine recreates the paint-skin effect from her work by using a rusting process to create a similar look to her sculptures. The bag is artfully crumpled, but it’s still functional. It has a removable handle and a pouch underneath that functions as a sleeve so that you can carry the bag as a clutch.

Ugo Rondinone and Park Seo-Bo crafted bags in unique fabrics and colors that hew more closely to the traditional Louis Vuitton design codes while still being prime examples of their art. Seo-Bo collaborated with his grandson, a London College of Fashion graduate, to transplant one of his paintings onto the canvas of a Capucine. Rondinone combined two recurring icons in his work — clowns and rainbows — to create a brilliantly colored and textured bag.

Peter Marino is known for his elegant architectural designs and his bold, leather-heavy personal style. So, it’s no surprise that his bag combines both. It’s inspired by a medieval box he discovered in Venice and features studded leather reminiscent of the box, along with straps and a key element.

Daniel Buren is known for his trademark vertical strips, and he transformed the handles into a graphic black-and-white circle that extends into the body of the bag. His Artycapucine comes in several bold colors, as well as black.

Amélie Bertrand brings the stunning sunsets of her hometown, Cannes, to life. It has a bold ombré design inspired by the shades of the evening sky and a few hidden tricks. The handle is phosphorescent, and it glows in the dark after it has been “charged” by the sun. She adds sculptural elements and a thick chain to the front.

So, are these bags art or fashion? Bertrand, Marino, and Seo-Bo agree the project is a combination of both, while Yanko simply calls them creation.

Each Artycapucine is limited to 200 pieces worldwide.