Off-White Releases A Handbag Inspired By The Louvre Pyramid
Designer Virgil Abloh created the carryall for Bid for the Louvre, an auction that supports the famed museum’s forthcoming education space
Photo: Courtesy
Off-White Louvre bag
Virgil Abloh is a true Renaissance man. And now, the designer of Off-White—who is also the artistic director of Louis Vuitton’s menswear collection, a DJ, an automotive designer, and an art curator—can add philanthropist to his bio. Abloh designed a special edition of his popular Jitney 2.8 handbag in partnership with Christie’s for Bid for the Louvre, an auction that supports the Louvre Museum and The Louvre Studio, an artistic and cultural education space that is set to launch in fall 2021.
The Jitney 2.8—a structured, top-handle bag—made its debut in 2019 and featured Off-White’s crossed-arrows logo and phrases like cash inside and turn to open. For the auction, Abloh removed the kitschy motifs, instead fabricating the bag from silver calfskin leather with diamond-shaped reliefs and shimmering mini paillettes, which are intended to reflect the Louvre’s iconic I.M. Pei–designed glass and metal pyramid.
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Jitney 2.8 bag for Bid for the Louvre. Photo: Courtesy
Off-White Louvre bag
The bag for Bid for the Louvre isn’t the first time that Abloh has been inspired by the famed art institution. In December 2019, he released the Musée du Louvre x Off-White collection, a capsule that paid homage to the original Renaissance man, Leonardo da Vinci.
“I want to crash together these two worlds that are seemingly different: fashion and high art,” Abloh said at the time. “It’s a crucial part of my overall body of work to prove that any place, no matter how exclusive it seems, is accessible to everyone. That you can be interested in expressing yourself through more than one practice and that creativity does not have to be tied to just one discipline.”
The auction will be held on Christie’s online platform from December 1 to 15. Other lots include a Panthère de Cartier bracelet, a tour of the museum's famed roofs, and a private examination of da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. With the Louvre again closed as part of France’s second lockdown, the world’s most popular museum is losing unprecedented revenue. There has never been a more important time to help the Louvre keep art accessible to all post-pandemic.
This article originally appeared on Harper's BAZAAR US.
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