Painting an $8,000 bag might seem criminal, but perhaps not when it is done in the name of art.
Luxury fashion house Louis Vuitton has tasked six internationally acclaimed artists to transform the blank canvas of its iconic Capucines bag into works of art.
The six limited-edition designs form the third chapter of the French maison’s yearly Artycapucines Collection, first unveiled in 2019 in a show of the house’s commitment to savoir faire.
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This year, the bags – by artists including Zeng Fanzhi and Paola Pivi – sold out in 29 seconds. Each was priced at $12,400 and there were 200 pieces a design.
Before the launch this month, customers placed their orders with in-store client advisers. Once orders opened, the bags were allocated based on clients’ indication of interest.
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The Capucines bag, which averages $8,000 in Singapore, was launched in 2013 and is named after Rue Neuve-des-Capucines, the Parisian street where Louis Vuitton opened his first store in 1854.
Previous Artycapucines editions include a sculptural, silver creation fastened with screws from Chinese visual artist Liu Wei; one comprising more than 300 laser-cut leather parts sewn together from Chinese artist Zhao Zhao; and a summery, handwoven raffia interpretation from French artist Jean-Michel Othoniel.
Here is a look at the six new Artycapucines creations.