Louis Vuitton and Takashi Murakami Launch Artycapucines Collection at Art Basel Paris
Celebrating 20 years of collaboration with 11 whimsical Capucine redesigns and an immersive installation to match.
Summary
- Louis Vuitton and Takashi Murakami celebrate 20 years of collaboration with a new Artycapucines collection
- The collection reimagines 11 handbags with a psychedelic Murakami twist, featuring some of his most beloved characters and motifs
- In addition to the bags, presentation premieres new sculptures at the Grand Palais as a part of Art Basel Paris
Louis Vuitton and Takashi Murakami arrive at Art Basel Paris in style to unveil their new, 11-piece Artycapucines collection.
Fresh off the reedition of their iconic first collab, the pair plant a garden of kaleidoscopic delights at the Grand Palais, suspended above the bustling fairgoers. Perched on the Balcon d’Honneur lays Murakami’s newly-conceived, 24-foot-tall octopus, inspired by Chinese lanterns, its luminous, outstretched tentacles, spilling onto the installation floor. Adorned with ears and the artist’s signature Superflat Jellyfish Eyes motif, the sculpture channels playfulness and paranoia with nods to his 2017 work “The Octopus Eats Its Own Leg.” Encircling the bags are three “Plush Balls” — spherical sculptures inspired by M.C. Escher’s trompe-’lœil — setting the perfect stage for the marriage of art and fashion on view.
Louis Vuitton’s Artsycapucines launched in 2019, when the brand invited six contemporary artists to put their own spin on the classic Capucines silhouette. Standouts from Murakami’s edition include the Capucines BB Golden Garden bag, which takes cues from his Ogata Kōrin-inspired Chrysanthemum works and the Panda Clutch, a 6,250-rhinestone splendor. Elsewhere, the Capucines Mini Mushroom renders a trippy forest scene in leather, while the Capucines Mini Tentacle and Capucines MM Eye echo the eight-limbed titan that towers above.
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The love story between the house and artist runs deep. In 2003, Marc Jacobs, the then-creative director, tapped Murakami to bring a fresh, pop-art sensibility to the storied luxury brand for the 2003 Monogram Multicolore collection. The historic collaboration not only introduced a new visual language to Louis Vuitton, but cemented the dance between high and commercial culture prevalent within Murakami’s own artistic practice.
The Artycapucines VII – Louis Vuitton x Takashi Murakami showcase is now on at the Grand Palais as a part of Art Basel Paris, running through October 26. Head to the fair’s website to secure your tickets.
