Louis Vuitton, has introduced the latest installment of its Artycapucines Collection for the year 2023, bringing together the creative visions of five prominent contemporary artists. Billie Zangewa, Ewa Juszkiewicz, Liza Lou, Tursic & Mille, and Ziping Wang lent their distinct perspectives to the classic Capucines bag.
BAGS
The Capucines bag, named after the Parisian street Rue Neuve-des-Capucines, where Louis Vuitton opened his inaugural store in 1854, has become a canvas for artistic expression since the inception of the Artycapucines Collection in 2019. Over the years, 29 contemporary artists have used this iconic bag as a medium to create unique and captivating designs. This latest chapter in the collection reaffirms the collection’s ability to fuse the artists’ creativity with the craftsmanship of Louis Vuitton’s masterful artisans.
Billie Zangewa: Hailing from Malawi and now based in South Africa, Billie Zangewa employs deliberately imperfect patchworks of raw silk to craft landscapes and portraits. Her Artycapucines piece features her 2020 work titled “The Swimming Lesson,” which depicts her son Mika. The artwork is recreated using a combination of high-definition printing, trompe-l’oeil techniques, expressive embroidery, and intentionally visible hand-stitching.
Ewa Juszkiewicz: A Polish painter known for striking and surrealist works, Juszkiewicz chose to transfer her 2021 masterpiece, “Ginger Locks,” to a Capucines bag. The high-definition print of this artwork is complemented by a string of golden pearls, creating a captivating visual.
Liza Lou: Liza Lou is renowned for her intricate use of beads in both large-scale sculptures and intimate artworks. For her Artycapucines creation, she has embossed the subtle and textural beadwork into soft leather. The leather is delicately printed in pastel colors and draped around the Capucines bag, creating a sculptural second skin.
Tursic & Mille: This Franco-Serbian artistic duo brings their fascination with image overload in contemporary society to their Capucines design. They reinvent the bag in a signature flower shape, using it as a frame for a richly embroidered and colored version of their 2021 painting, “Tenderness.” The bag features a charred cedarwood handle and an inlaid IV logo.
Ziping Wang: Wang’s mini Artycapucines bag is the smallest in the collection, featuring leather patchwork and marquetry in vibrant colors and whimsical motifs. It serves as a powerful commentary on our visually saturated and self-reflective world.
The Artycapucines Collection now boasts 29 distinctive designs by celebrated artists from around the globe, including Alex Israel, Beatriz Milhazes, Daniel Buren, Henry Taylor, Paola Pivi, Park Seo-Bo, Tschabalala Self, Ugo Rondinone, Urs Fischer, Vik Muniz and Zhao Zhao. It stands as a testament to Louis Vuitton’s century-long commitment to artistic creativity, savoir-faire, and craftsmanship. This dedication is evident in collaborations with legendary artists and the opening of the Frank Gehry-designed Fondation Vuitton in 2014. The Artycapucines Collection not only showcases Louis Vuitton’s innovative spirit but also affirms the Capucines bag as the ultimate expression of femininity.
All bags from the 2023 Artycapucines Collection, presented in specially designed boxes, will be available in limited editions of 200, with a worldwide release scheduled for October 12, 2023. This collection is yet another testament to Louis Vuitton’s enduring commitment to marrying art and fashion in the most exquisite way.
