PARIS — At the inaugural edition of Paris+ by Art Basel last year, collectors were clamoring to buy the Artycapucines handbags on display at the Louis Vuitton stand. It’s no wonder: conceived by leading artists, they’re like miniature paintings on the go.
Vuitton is set to reveal its new crop of bags on Oct. 18 at the art fair. But clients interested in snapping up designs by Billie Zangewa, Ewa Juszkiewicz, Liza Lou, Tursic & Mille and Ziping Wang will again be politely redirected to the brand’s stores, where they will be available in a limited edition of 200, priced at 9,200 euros each. The Capucines bag was introduced in 2013 as Vuitton embarked on an upscaling drive and launched higher-priced bags. Ewa Juszkiewicz with her Artycapucines design. Now in its fifth edition, the Artycapucines project has produced a total of 29 designs and capitalizes on the growing convergence between fashion and art, with participants relishing the prospect of sending their creations out on the street.
“I am excited to see how people wear it, style it, and see people interact with it. It is definitely a liberating and exciting opportunity for my work to go beyond the context of gallery walls to everyday environments,” said Wang, the Chinese-born, U.S.-educated artist whose paintings and drawings are inspired by the visual overload of the digital era.
The smallest bag in the collection so far, her mini Artycapucines uses leather patchwork and marquetry in vivid colors to evoke the saccharine hit of a sweet treat. With details like mint candy feet made of resin, and an enamel gingerbread man with LV monogram flower buttons, it’s a three-dimensional project designed to engage the senses.
“When I first began this project, I immediately considered the bag as a moveable sculpture, which is designed to be seen from every angle, creating a continuous image,” she explained.
