Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1302598
ArtycApucines Are BAck L aunched in 2013, Louis Vuitton's Capucines bag has become a classic, with a structure that allows the iconic LV logo to be top-stitched into the edge — a slick departure from the overt branding that dominated the market at the time. Named for rue des Capucines (the street that was home to the first Louis Vuitton Maison), the bag has broad sides and a silhouette that make for an excellent canvas. Hence, for the second time, Vuitton has invited six contemporary artists — Beatriz Milhazes, Henry Taylor, Jean-Michel Othoniel, Josh Smith, Liu Wei, and Zhao Zhao — to collaborate on a limited-edition Artycapucines collection. The collection transforms art and design into a seamless vision. What appears to be a simple transfer of image to leather is actually a painstaking process that involves a commitment from artisans and a decades-long accumulation of knowledge from the atelier. Hours of research into materials, applications, and techniques are required. Brazilian artist Beatriz Milhazes blends Brazilian and European modernism in her work; influenced by Matisse and Mondrian, her art showcases Brazilian carnival culture, ceramics, and lacework. For this collaboration, Vuitton worked 18 types of leather to the same thickness and inlaid them into the bag using marquetry techniques — an extremely time-intensive leather-working process that requires both precision and care. Henry Taylor's bag reproduces A Young Master, his 2017 portrait of the late American artist Noah Davis, founder of The Underground Museum in L.A. Vuitton performed countless experiments testing the transfer of imagery using 2D and 3D printing to match the exact colors, textures, and brushstrokes of the original work. The result is an almost perfect representation. When asked by Vuitton if he preferred making a statement or creating a desirable object, Taylor said, "Seeing the completed bag is beautiful; it makes me want to cry. There's that quote, Sometimes you have to be lost before you can be found, and with this project, it was about what I found. It feels right." French sculptor Jean-Michel Othoniel is known for twisting lines of glass beads into his works. For their collaboration, Vuitton selected and dyed raffia for the body of the bag, then used black satin silk for trim and black resin beads on the handle to mimic the artist's large-scale works. Vuitton's collaborations with New York artist Josh Smith and Beijing artists Liu Wei and Zhao Zhao can be seen at louisvuitton.com. Each bag in the collection is a limited edition of 200. Price upon request, at the Louis Vuitton boutique, louisvuitton.com. BY STEVEN HEMpEL Louis Vuitton Artycapucines by Henry Taylor Louis Vuitton Artycapucines by Josh Smith Louis Vuitton Artycapucines by Zhao Zhao 24