Celebrating 20 years of collaboration with 11 whimsical Capucine redesigns and an immersive installation to match.
A Celebration of Art and Fashion
Louis Vuitton and Takashi Murakami arrive at Art Basel Paris in style to unveil their newest project — an 11-piece Artycapucines Collection that marks two decades of creative partnership.
Fresh off the reedition of their first iconic collaboration, the duo transforms the Grand Palais into a kaleidoscopic dreamscape. Suspended above fairgoers, Murakami’s newly conceived 24-foot-tall octopus stretches across the Balcon d’Honneur — its luminous tentacles adorned with the artist’s signature Superflat Jellyfish Eyes motif. Inspired by Chinese lanterns and referencing his 2017 work The Octopus Eats Its Own Leg, the installation captures both playfulness and unease. Surrounding the centerpiece are three “Plush Balls” — spherical sculptures inspired by M.C. Escher’s illusions — setting the stage for a surreal dialogue between art and fashion.
The Reimagined Artycapucines
First launched in 2019, Louis Vuitton’s Artycapucines series invites contemporary artists to reinterpret the brand’s classic Capucines silhouette. Murakami’s edition bursts with color, whimsy, and intricate craftsmanship — each handbag serving as a small-scale canvas for his fantastical world.
Highlights include the Capucines BB Golden Garden, inspired by his Chrysanthemum works after Ogata Kōrin, and the Panda Clutch, dazzling with over 6,000 rhinestones. Other pieces, like the Capucines Mini Mushroom, depict dreamlike forest scenes, while the Capucines Mini Tentacle and Capucines MM Eye mirror the monumental octopus installation above.
Two Decades of Creative Synergy
The Louis Vuitton × Takashi Murakami partnership first began in 2003, when then–creative director Marc Jacobs invited Murakami to infuse the house’s heritage with a pop-art sensibility. The result — the Monogram Multicolore Collection — became one of the most recognizable collaborations in fashion history, redefining the intersection of luxury, art, and commercial culture.
Now, 20 years later, the Artycapucines VII: Louis Vuitton x Takashi Murakami presentation continues that legacy, bridging eras and disciplines with the same spirit of playful innovation.
The showcase is on view at the Grand Palais, as part of Art Basel Paris, through October 26.
