Warning: This New Louis Vuitton Bag Is Extremely Covetable

Above: Artycapucines handbag by Ugo Rondinone.

Anyone who has been to an art fair knows that the fashions worn by the attendees can be as eye-grabbing as the works on display. Louis Vuitton’s limited-edition Artycapucines handbag collection blurs that line even further with wearable art that pairs some of the world’s greatest creatives with an iconic design; this fall sees the release of the latest group of handbags, reimagined by six global names with vastly different practices.

Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone makes the case for aristocratic absurdity with his hand-beaded take on the house’s classic Capucines bag, named for the Paris street where Vuitton opened his first store in 1854. “I took two archetypal symbols that I often use in my work: the clown and the rainbow,” Rondinone says. His Artycapucines harlequin design nods to his fascination with jesters, while the beading (which takes 100 hours and nearly 15,000 beads per bag) showcases the exquisite craftsmanship that distinguishes the brand.

New York architect Peter Marino took a slightly more historical approach. “During
a visit to the 14th-century Scuola Grande San Giovanni Evangelista in Venice, I noticed a medieval box,” he says. “The box had straps and a key that I translated into the Arty-
capucines bag.” He pays homage to the Italian coffer with 315 studs, varying in size and scattered over the bag’s body. A slide-bolt closure that locks in place to secure the front flap is the finishing touch.

Korean artist Park Seo-Bo’s interpretation is more literal still—he translated the red stripes of one of his Écriture paintings directly onto his version of the Artycapucines. With the assistance of his grandson, Park Jifan, the texture of a 2016 work was transferred via 3D rubber injection onto the surface of the bags.

With variations by Kennedy Yanko, Daniel Buren, and Amélie Bertrand, each Arty-capucines design is available in an edition of 200 and is sure to turn heads anywhere it’s spotted.

This story originally appeared in the November 2022 issue of ELLE DECOR. SUBSCRIBE

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