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The Art of Luxury Handbags

Isabella de Souza
written by Isabella de Souza,
Last updated30 May 2024
Top 10 Iconic Bag Collaborations of All Time
An image of a runway show by brand Louis Vuitton, with a series of male models holding several items of the brand’s collaboration with artist Stephen Sprouse.Image © Louis Vuitton x Stephen Sprouse 2001
Joe Syer

Joe Syer, Co-Founder & Specialist Head[email protected]

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In the dynamic world of art and fashion, a striking synergy has emerged as artists and designers have collaborated to create unique, limited-edition items. These creative partnerships between renowned fashion houses and celebrated artists are transforming the landscape of luxury accessories, with iconic partnerships such as Louis Vuitton x Jeff Koons, Chanel x Pharrell Williams and Dior x KAWS leading the way. These artistic unions not only elevate the prestige of the brands involved, but also offer a platform for artists to showcase their work on an international scale. Their resounding success only reinforces the undeniable connection between the realms of art and fashion.

Handbags in particular have been the focus of many of these collaborations, perhaps due to the nature of handbags as a stable collectible passion investment. These commemorative pieces have a tendency to appreciate over time, making them desirable beyond their aesthetic value.

An image of a handbag by brand Coach, featuring Jean-Michel Basquiat’s distinctive crown.Image © Coach x Jean-Michel Basquiat 2020

When Artists Design Handbags: A Fusion of Creativity and Functionality

Artists bring a unique perspective, often approaching their creations from a different angle compared to traditional fashion designers. One notable difference in the creative process of artist-designed handbags lies in artists’ emphasis on storytelling and conceptual depth. While fashion designers often focus on the practical aspects of design, artists are more likely to prioritise the narrative and emotion behind their creations.  Collaborations can be very successful, if the artist manages to navigate the delicate balance between their artistic vision and the functional requirements such as durability, storage, and ease of use of a handbag. Furthermore, they must consider the commercial viability of their creations, more so than in their artistic practice.

The blending of artistic sensibility and functional design has resulted in a new type of bag that challenges the conventional norms of the fashion world. For artists, designing handbags provides a distinctive medium, exposing them to a wider audience. This can lead to increased demand for their art and new creative partnerships. For fashion designers, working with artists can inject fresh ideas and perspectives into their collections, pushing the boundaries of traditional design and helping them stand out in a competitive market.

Two photographs: the left is a black and white photograph of artist Salvador Dali holding the legs of a nude mannequin with a lobster covering the genital area, and the right photograph is of a mannequin wearing a silk gown with a red lobster printed in the centreImage © Philadelphia Museum of Art / Evening gown silk 1937

The Evolution of Handbag Collaborations

Art and fashion have been intertwined since at least the early 20th century, when Salvador Dalí and Elsa Schiaparelli collaborated on designs that blurred the lines between art and fashion. In 1965, Yves Saint Laurent found inspiration from the art of Piet Mondrian, using his geographic patterns and colour blocking for an entire collection including handbags. Not surprisingly, fashion collaborations were attractive to Pop Artists such as Andy Warhol due to the objects’ mass appeal and accessibility.

These collaborations gained even more traction in the late 90s, particularly during Marc Jacobs’ stewardship of Louis Vuitton. It was during this time that handbags began taking centre stage as the focal points of artistic collaborations, and objects such as the “It Bags” became coveted. In recent years, the influence of street art has become increasingly prevalent in the world of fashion. Designers have sought to collaborate with street artists and brands such as Stephen Sprouse and Supreme, resulting in handbags that reflect urban culture and convey a sense of rebellion and individuality.

Since then, the high-fashion artist-designed handbag has had many iterations and garnered considerable demand.

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The Most Iconic Handbag Collaborations of All Time

An image of a large number of Louis Vuitton bags and luggage, covered with Stephen Sprouse’s typical graffiti handwriting.Image © Louis Vuitton x Stephen Sprouse 2001
1.

Stephen Sprouse & Louis Vuitton (2001)

For the Spring 2001 Runway show, designer Marc Jacobs enlisted artist Stephen Sprouse to create a limited-edition line of the iconic Louis Vuitton monogrammed canvas bags,  boldly reinterpreting them in a graffiti style. In an interview, Jacobs revealed that his inspiration arose from the audacity of Marcel Duchamp, who once added a moustache and goatee to a reproduction of the Mona Lisa. The triumph of this collaboration paved the way for Jacobs’ artistic liberty at Louis Vuitton, setting the stage for an array of future artist collaborations by the brand and beyond.

The bags featured Louis Vuitton’s instantly recognisable designs and logo, but featured Sprouse’s characteristic bold writing over them. The result was traditional bags infused with new energy that appealed to the brand’s younger customers. The collaboration was revived in 2008, following Sprouse’s death, and remains revered by fashion lovers today.

“It's about taking something that's very iconic and revered and defacing it and creating something new, somewhat rebellious, and kind of punk.”
Marc Jacobs
An image of a model crouching over a large number of Louis Vuitton bags and luggage, reimagined in Murakami’s colourful palette.Image © Louis Vuitton x Takashi Murakami 2003
2.

Takashi Murakami & Louis Vuitton (2003)

Stephen Sprouse’s collection’s success was just the beginning for Louis Vuitton. Since then, they began a long history of collaboration with artists – most notable of which is Takashi Murakami. His first collection in 2003 was one of the most emblematic of the early 2000s, and its designs are now some of the most coveted in the vintage market.

In Multicolore, Murakami reimagined Louis Vuitton’s iconic logo with his distinctive colourful palette, quickly gaining a cult following among celebrities and enthusiasts alike. He then collaborated other times with the brand, including creating the Cherry Blossom and Monogramouflage collections. Some of his designs featured his manga-inspired cartoon characters dotted alongside the brand’s classic monogram, a perfect representation of the artist’s penchant for mixing high art and pop culture.

This collaboration was yet another successful attempt at revamping Louis Vuitton’s image and appealing to a younger audience. The partnership was so effective that the collection remained in stores until the summer of 2015, having outlived almost all other artists’ collaborations with the brand.

An image of artist Tracey Emin holding one of the Longchamp bags she designed in 2004.Image © Longchamp x Tracey Emin 2004
3.

Tracey Emin & Longchamp (2004)

When French-brand Longchamp wished to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their Le Pliage bag, they called artist Tracey Emin to create a limited-edition supply of bags. In crafting the Longchamp line, Emin incorporated some of her signature techniques, such as deconstructing and reconstructing textiles, patchwork, embroidery and painting to produce a truly recognisable collection.

Together, they created “International Woman”, a collection of 200 unique suitcases that told the story of a woman falling in love all over the world. Each suitcase carried a rosette upon which Emin drew the Longchamp logo alongside the handwritten name of a street, city or hotel that reminded the artist of a romantic moment or encounter from her own life. She also created 200 of her own reiterations of the Le Pliage handbag, which came in two different colour wheels – pink and blue – and included one of her confessional slogans written in the back: “Always Me.”

An image of three black backpacks in different designs by Damien Hirst for fashion house The Row.Image © The Row x Damien Hirst 2012
4.

Damien Hirst & The Row (2012)

In 2012 Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, the elusive fashion icons behind fashion brand The Row, collaborated with Damien Hirst to create an exclusive capsule collection of backpacks that were only offered on the platform Just One Eye. The collection had 12 different designs by Hirst, all crafted in the brand’s signature Nile crocodile leather, and featured many of his recurring motifs such as polka dots and pill capsules. The collection aimed to be a study in contrasts, between the luxurious material and the artist’s rebellious aesthetic. It is said that the backpacks, each of which was signed by Hirst, retailed for over £40,000 and is said to have raised proceeds for UNICEF.

Despite their hefty price tag, it is said that the bags sold quickly, although the donation to UNICEF was apparently done at the artist’s discretion and was not publicly announced. It is said that this was the first of a series of curated artistic partnerships by the LA-based concept store Just One Eye.

An image of a model dressed in white polka dots on a red background, holding a bag with the same pattern by Yayoi Kusama. She is standing against a background featuring the same print.Image © Louis Vuitton x Yayoi Kusama 2012
5.

Yayoi Kusama & Louis Vuitton (2012)

In 2012, reclusive Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama collaborated with then-Louis Vuitton designer Marc Jacobs to create a series of bags, clothes and accessories featuring her signature polka dots and colourful aesthetic. The Dots Infinity collection was Louis Vuitton’s most extensive collaboration with an artist up to that point, and the fashion house also sponsored the artist’s retrospective show at the Whitney that same year.

This was far from Kusama’s first foray into making apparel, although it was her most high-profile collaboration yet. Kusama had previously owned her own fashion boutique in the 1960s, a brand named Kusama Fashion Company, which sold her dresses and textiles in boutiques. She even had her own store in New York City where, for a time, Bloomingdales had a complete Kusama Corner, with all of her dresses decorated in her usual motifs.

“Louis Vuitton understands and appreciates the nature of my art. Therefore there isn’t much difference from my process of making fashion.”
Yayoi Kusama
An image of a green satin bag, with embroidered insects including ants, beetles, bees and spiders. The bag was designed by Damien Hirst for Prada.Image © Prada x Damien Hirst 2013
6.

Damien Hirst & Prada (2013)

After his not-so-accessible collaboration with The Row, Damien Hirst joined forces with fashion giant Miuccia Prada to create 20 copies of five insect-studded handbags, which were sold at silent auction with proceeds benefiting the non-profit organisation Reach Out To Asia. The handbags were also a landmark to celebrate Hirst’s retrospective exhibition in Qatar that same year, and followed Hirst’s philosophy of using real preserved animals in his art. These were covered in plexiglass and spread alongside delicately embroidered versions of insects, creating a fascinating contrast between real and fake. At the time of their release, the bags were priced at around £20,000, and in 2020 one of the copies made a public appearance at the V&A’s exhibition “Bags: Inside Out.”

The partnership was a success, with the bags selling fast despite the fact that Miuccia had just the year before declared herself against collaborating with high art, claiming that “art is for expressing ideas and for expressing a vision [while] my job is to sell.” Perhaps this declaration is the best proof that artists and designers work best when complementing each other’s talents.

An image of a sculpture by artist Jeff Koons, depicting one of Koons’ iconic shiny orbs at the feet of two female figures. The adult one is clutching onto three Hermès Birkin bags.Image © Jeff Koons 2014
7.

Jeff Koons & Preloved Birkin Bags (2014)

In 2014, Jeff Koons proved himself once more to be attuned to the fine arts market by creating an installation using second hand Birkin bags. Aiming to raise funds for the art charity Project Perpetual, the artist appropriated these bags – which had been owned by high-profile figures such as Diane von Furstenberg, Marc Jacobs and Sofia Coppola – and transformed them into readymade artworks, installed on wall shelves. He also created a sculpture using the bags as a centrepiece, a piece inspired by Pablo Picasso’s La Soupe and which featured three Birkins.

Hermès Birkins have become notorious for their association with wealth and status, as well as their uncanny capacity to appreciate in value as an alternative asset. By subverting what is traditionally considered a “raw material” for an artist to work with, Koons questioned what mattered more to buyers: who had created it, who had owned it or who had signed it? The answer was, apparently, a resounding mixture of all three.

An image of artist Jeff Koons holding one of the bags he designed in collaboration with Louis Vuitton.]Image © Louis Vuitton x Jeff Koons 2017
8.

Jeff Koons & Louis Vuitton (2017)

As one of the most celebrated artists of our time, it is only natural that Jeff Koons questions his place in the annals of art history at large. His collaboration with Louis Vuitton, the collection Masters, featured the reproduction of masterpieces from big names in the art world – Da Vinci, Titian, Rubens, Fragonard, Boucher and van Gogh, to name a few.

However, Koons also managed to make his mark alongside these legends: he reconfigured the brand’s monogram to bear his initials, marking the first time in the fashion house’s history that it allowed its famous logo to be reshaped. 

This distinct fusion of high art and fashion allowed for buyers to own a small instance of an Old Masters piece in their closet, and make a statement about their personal style through their choice of artist. The collaboration was widely considered a success, both critically and commercially.

An image of artist Yayoi Kusama, wearing red, holding one of the bags she designed in collaboration with Louis Vuitton.Image © Louis Vuitton x Yayoi Kusama 2023
9.

Yayoi Kusama & Louis Vuitton (2023)

Ten years after their last partnership, two of the biggest names in art and fashion decided to join forces once more. Louis Vuitton’s latest collaboration with Yayoi Kusama has provided itself just as impactful as the first one, especially as the artist’s star continues to soar to new heights. The new collection, Creating Infinity, has expanded on many of the motifs and symbols that are familiar to Kusama’s wide legion of fans: geometric patterns, polka dots and bright colours abound. The collection is extensive, featuring over 400 items and comprising several different models of bags and objects, all of which are done in various colour schemes.

However, it has also been a source of controversy, partially because of the brand’s insistence on an interactive artistic experience: a giant replica blowup of the artist hovering over the Champs-Élysées store in Paris and an animated lifelike robot in her likeness in New York City both went viral. There have been questions raised about who is benefitting from the deal, especially given Kusama’s self-imposed reclusion.

An image of a model wearing a shirt featuring artwork by the artist Yoshitomo Nara, standing against a background featuring that same artwork.Image © Stella McCartney x Yoshitomo Nara 2023
10.

Yoshitomo Nara & Stella McCartney (2023)

Yoshitomo Nara has joined forces twice with British designer Stella McCartney, the first time being in 2021. After their first collection sold out, the two decided to partner up for a second drop in 2023, which is a unisex capsule featuring the Japanese artist’s work. The designs aim to bring attention to meaningful issues, with the cheeky resistance and youthful rebelliousness of Nara’s illustrations uniting a new generation of changemakers around shared activism, aesthetics and a love for animals.

In accordance with Stella McCartney’s ethos, the collection is sustainable and vegan. The artist has spoken about the difference in the creative method between these two capsule collections, illustrating how distinctive the process can be each time:

“In our first collaboration, Stella chose which of my artworks she wanted to use and played around with them freely when integrating them into her designs. This time, I selected the artworks I wanted her to use and she once again had the freedom to place them as she wished in her pieces.”
Yoshitomo Nara

Investing in Designer Handbags

In recent years, the luxury handbag market has experienced tremendous growth, attracting collectors and investors alike. As more and more people become interested in passion assets, an increasing number of individuals are turning to high-end accessories as a means to diversify their investment portfolios.

Designer handbags from iconic brands have been making waves and become highly sought-after collectibles, especially after a recent report by Credit Suisse and Deloitte that stated that both handbags are “recession-proof.” Limited-edition and rare pieces can appreciate significantly over time, and their association with status is not lost on collectors. The handbag market has appreciated 15% over the past year and is predicted to reach £80 billion in 2026, with most of the growth coming from makers such as Hermès and Chanel.

Investing in fashion collectibles and handbags can be a gratifying venture. However, as with any other investment, it is key to perform comprehensive research, consult reliable experts and carefully weigh the potential risks and rewards before committing to any decision.

An image of a model wearing a suit while holding one of the bags that brand Supreme designed in collaboration with Louis Vuitton.Image © Louis Vuitton x Supreme 2017

The Future of Handbag Collaborations

The prominence of artist-designed handbags reflects the exciting potential of this creative fusion, acting as a significant driving force in the fashion industry due to their ability to push the boundaries of design and elevate the status of the artists and brands involved. We can expect to see further developments in this area, such as the incorporation of sustainable materials and innovative artistic techniques.

It is essential to acknowledge the benefits and drawbacks of artist and designer collaborations. These partnerships can boost sales and strengthen brand image, although there is potential for these partnerships to compromise artistic integrity – commercial interests might overshadow the creative vision of the artist. Unsuccessful collaborations can result in negative consequences for both parties, including disappointing sales and loss of influence.

Ultimately, the future of handbag collaborations will depend on achieving the right balance between artistic expression and commercial viability. Brands and artists will continue to explore new ways of bringing art and fashion together, creating handbags that not only captivate consumers but also stand as a testament to the limitless potential of creative synergy.

Joe Syer

Joe Syer, Co-Founder & Specialist Head[email protected]

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