Louis Vuitton Unveils Keith Haring Artycapucines Handbag Collection

FADE AWAY AND RADIATE: When Keith Haring scrawled his “Radiant Baby” on a battered Louis Vuitton suitcase in the ‘80s, little did he imagine that he was planting the seeds of an official collaboration with the luxury brand.

Nicolas Ghesquière, artistic director of womenswear at Vuitton, opened his cruise 2027 show in New York City in May with a model carrying the priceless artifact, kicking off a broader partnership with the Keith Haring Foundation that will culminate in a collection rolling out worldwide from January 1.

At the top end of the range sits the Artycapucines line, an annual edition of limited-edition bags customized by prominent artists.

A capsule line of 13 designs featuring Haring’s work and characters will be teased at Art Basel Paris, where some pieces will be presented at the Louis Vuitton booth alongside Artycapucines bags from previous editions, underscoring the brand’s ongoing dialogue with artists. The space will be open to the public from Oct. 23.

The high-end bags will go on sale in selected Louis Vuitton stores alongside a broader Haring-inspired collection spanning ready-to-wear, leather goods and accessories, to be unveiled later this year.

Using techniques ranging from leather marquetry to laser printing, Vuitton’s workshops have reproduced the artist’s graffiti-style designs on a selection of Capucines handbags.

A drawing of dolphins swimming with humans is rendered in vibrant pinks and blues on the Capucines BB Holiday, made of calfskin inlaid with precious ostrich and karung leather. Other paintings and drawings are reproduced through embroidery, embossing and enameled charms, which adorn decorative chains.

Haring’s “Running Heart” artwork from 1984 appears on an evening clutch covered in more than 12,000 crystals, while his “Statue of Liberty” and “Big Apple” motifs are rendered on a minaudière shaped like a takeout noodle box.

The latter was part of look 17 of the cruise show presented at the Frick Collection, which also featured Haring’s work across selected garments.

The vintage suitcase that started it all was scanned and digitally printed on a handbag, the Capucines MM Genesis, and a mini attaché case with a shoulder strap, dubbed the Valisette Genesis, thereby capturing and preserving its singular patina.

“A symbol of birth, hope and the infinite potential of life, the motif elevated an already exceptional Louis Vuitton object into a singular work of art and a rare artifact of the 1980s New York cultural zeitgeist,” Vuitton said.