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In 2019, storied French maison Louis Vuitton introduced a new bag: the Capucines. Its name nodded to the Parisian street that was home to Louis Vuitton’s first store, Rue Neuve-des-Capucines, which opened in 1854, and its shape was refined: sleek, sophisticated and elegant. Along with launching the bag, Louis Vuitton pushed things a step further, introducing Artycapucines — an annual project that tasked renowned artists with reimagining the bag in their own way, imbuing the classic silhouette with flair in the way of colour, pattern and illustration pulled straight from their own oeuvres. Alumni include Takashi Murakami, Beatriz Milhazes, Ugo Rondinone and Zhao Zhao, among numerous others. This year, Louis Vuitton is celebrating its eighth Artycapucines collection, and to commemorate the milestone, the Maison sought the energetic playfulness and vibrancy of Keith Haring.
Born in Pennsylvania in 1958, Keith Haring’s chaotic, vivacious artworks remain emblematic of a moment in time: a city pulsating with energy and a burgeoning art scene characterised by grunginess and experimentation. In the latest Artycapucines collection, that same feeling has found its way onto 13 bags, all of which boast Haring’s rhythmic linework and joyful characters in their own way.
A close collaboration with the Keith Haring Foundation gave rise to the 13-piece collection, but it’s not the first time the Maison has been inspired by Haring’s body of work. In Nicolas Ghesquière’s Cruise 2027 womenswear collection, which was presented at New York’s Frick Collection, Haring’s figures covered blouses, dresses and jackets, the primary colours he favoured splashed across the looks. It made sense, then, that that dialogue be continued in Louis Vuitton’s eighth Artycapucines collection.
Dipping into Haring’s expansive oeuvre, the collection celebrates the artist’s most recognisable pieces: ‘Running Heart’ and ‘Radiant Baby’, to name a couple. His works are interpreted by the deft hands and creative vision of the Louis Vuitton artisans, who employed techniques like traditional leather marquetry, cutting-edge laser-printing, hand embroidery of thousands of individually applied beads and traditional needlework techniques to celebrate and honour Haring’s artistic legacy. The resulting handbags are pieces of art in and of themselves: intricate, expressive, the ultimate collector’s piece. Can’t you just imagine Keith Haring carrying one himself?
Selected Keith Haring Artycapucines pieces will be unveiled during Art Basel Paris and all bags in the collection will be released as limited editions in Louis Vuitton stores worldwide starting January 1, 2027.
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