{"id":6046,"date":"2026-01-13T17:00:34","date_gmt":"2026-01-13T16:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magazine.lineapelle-fair.it\/?p=6046"},"modified":"2026-01-16T12:22:20","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T11:22:20","slug":"vuitton-and-murakami-the-brand-new-level-of-a-textbook-collaboration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magazine.lineapelle-fair.it\/en\/focus-en\/vuitton-and-murakami-the-brand-new-level-of-a-textbook-collaboration\/","title":{"rendered":"Vuitton and Murakami: the brand new level of a textbook collaboration"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the world of fashion collaborations, there is one that has set a precedent and is reaching new heights: the one between the French mansion Louis Vuitton and the Japanese artist Takashi Murakami. A dialogue that has been going on for twenty years and, with the latest edition of the Artycapucines Capucines project, that has shifted the conversation on a whole another level<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

by Domenico Casoria<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When, at the end of October, at the\u00a0Louis Vuitton<\/strong>\u00a0stand at the Grand Palais (where\u00a0Art Basel,<\/strong>\u00a0the world\u2019s most important modern and contemporary art fair, is usually held) appeared\u00a0a giant octopus<\/strong>, it was immediately clear that the artist in question was\u00a0Murakami<\/strong>. More specifically, due to various reasons: the first, the most obvious one, is related to the fact that Murakami has always worked with the figure of the octopus, often present in the history of Japanese art. The second one, less evident (but only to those outside the industry) is that, by now, the relationship between Louis Vuitton and Murakami can be considered as\u00a0a healthy and strong marriage<\/strong>, destined to stand the test of time.<\/p>\n

Louis Vuitton and Murakami<\/strong><\/h3>\n

For the seventh edition of the\u00a0Artycapucines project<\/strong>, the French brand has, in fact, entrusted to the vision of Takashi Murakami the reinterpretation, or the \u201cartistic remake\u201d, of the iconic Capucines bag, which takes its name from Rue Neuve-des-Capucines, the Parisian street in which Louis Vuitton opened its first boutique back to 1854. It must be said, it is not a matter of mere accessories, but of\u00a0true collector\u2019s items<\/strong>\u00a0that have earned, \u00e7a va sans dire, a place in the artistic exhibition par excellence.<\/p>\n

Clearly, it is not the first contact between the artist and the brand. But, this seventh edition of the project (which has been ongoing since 2019) has marked a significant\u00a0turning point<\/strong>: in fact, for the first time, Murakami encountered, essentially in every aspect, Louis Vuitton\u2019s savoir faire.<\/p>\n

Eleven reinterpretations<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The partnership, in this way, gave life to\u00a0eleven original reinterpretations<\/strong>\u00a0of the Capucines bag, and each of them was designed in order to highlight a precise and distinctive aspect of Murakami\u2019s creative imagination, which is strongly influenced by the aesthetic of\u00a0manga\u00a0<\/strong>and the\u00a0geek culture<\/strong>. In other words, anime, science fiction, collecting, and everything that generally revolves around pop nerd culture. Eleven models that, essentially, are\u00a0true works of art<\/strong>. Or, to put it in another way, we can file them under \u201csummary of Murakami\u2019s thought\u201d.<\/p>\n

Manga and the geek culture<\/strong><\/h3>\n

For instance, the\u00a0Mini Tentacle<\/strong>\u00a0draws inspiration from Mr. DOB, the iconic octopus, symbol of the artist. The\u00a0Mini Mushroom<\/strong>\u00a0is decorated with more than 100 hand-polished resin mushrooms, arranged on a 3d mirrored canvas, which seems to transport us into a parallel universe. In some cases, the shape is altered, as in the\u00a0Capusplit<\/strong>, stretched on its two sides. Or in the\u00a0Capubloom<\/strong>, in which the shape of the bag transforms into a sphere, fully covered in multicolored daisies.<\/p>\n

In the\u00a0Panda Clutch<\/strong>\u00a0the Capucines bag actually takes the appearance of the animal, carved in polished brass and, then, decorated with 6250 hand-set rhinestones. In other cases, the bag is adapted to much more known codes. For example, the\u00a0EW Dragon\u00a0<\/strong>represents an homage to the work Dragon in Clouds Indigo Blue, designed by Murakami in 2010. Here, the dragon is directly printed on the bag. Then, there is no shortage of\u00a0astonishing works<\/strong>. In the\u00a0BB Golden Garden<\/strong>, the protagonist is leather, which is covered in gold leaves, together with sophisticated floral motifs and enamelled details.<\/p>\n

A world in expansion<\/strong><\/h3>\n

So, the one of Vuitton feat. Murakami is a world waiting to be discovered, capable of leaving an impression among\u00a0fashion enthusiasts<\/strong>, or directly reaching the hearts of\u00a0niche customers<\/strong>, as it actually opens a door to\u00a0a kind of imagination that never ceases to expand<\/strong>. And then, because in this continuous (and supposed) rivalry between fashion and art this relationship built on mutual influence represents the real driving force behind creative development, of both.<\/p>\n

Picture Louis Vuitton<\/em><\/p>\n

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