Louis Vuitton and Takashi Murakami Reignite Their Creative Partnership

Louis Vuitton and Takashi Murakami have entered a renewed chapter in their long-standing relationship. Following the recent reedition of their iconic early-2000s collaboration, the French luxury house and the renowned Japanese artist have unveiled a new joint venture: a special Artycapucines collection, revealed on Tuesday with a striking installation at Art Basel Paris.

The Capucines Mini Tentacle bag from the Louis Vuitton x Takashi Murakami collection.DOMINIQUE MAITRE/WWD

Drawing directly from Murakami’s most recognisable visual language — including his beloved Panda character and signature smiling flowers — the collection presents 11 reinterpretations of Louis Vuitton’s Capucines handbag. Each piece is saturated with colour and defined by elaborate sculptural craftsmanship.

Since the launch of the Artycapucines initiative in 2019, Louis Vuitton has invited 30 leading contemporary artists, among them Urs Fischer, Jean-Michel Othoniel, Ewa Juszkiewicz and Beatriz Milhazes, to reimagine the Capucines bag. Murakami said he was intrigued by the sculptural quality of these past editions. “They all looked like sculptures,” he told WWD. “It was very mysterious, and the process was very interesting.”

This new collaboration builds on a partnership that began over two decades ago, when Murakami dramatically reanimated the Maison’s Monogram for the Spring 2003 season under then-creative director Marc Jacobs. That line, relaunched this year, now spans more than 200 items, from City Bags to accessories and even a skateboard.

The Artycapucines project, however, ventures further into three-dimensional terrain. One highlight — the Capucines Mini Tentacle, inspired by Murakami’s 2017 sculpture DOBtopus — transforms his alter-ego character Mr. DOB into a vivid tentacled form. Comprising more than 450 individual components, the bag takes 75 days to complete. Resin tentacles are cast, painted, polished and painstakingly set by hand. “There’s tremendous improvement and advancement of techniques on Louis Vuitton’s side,” Murakami noted, adding that his own studio’s 3D capabilities helped both teams collaborate with precision.

Art and Commerce at Art Basel

At Art Basel Paris, Vuitton’s presentation is anchored by an eight-metre-high Murakami octopus sculpture, conceived in the style of illuminated Chinese lanterns. The installation addresses — and confronts — longstanding debates about the intersection of fine art and luxury branding. Murakami, who was once criticised by some in the art establishment for incorporating Vuitton motifs into his paintings, acknowledged the tension. “People always wonder whether art should be marketed so much commercially,” he reflected.

The octopus also carries a more introspective symbolism. In Japan, the creature’s capacity to consume its own limbs is tied to themes of survival and self-cannibalisation. Murakami admitted that his character Mr. DOB has become a metaphor for his fear of overexposure: “Sometimes I fear that I’m trapped in my own trap.”

The Capucines Mini Autograph bag. DOMINIQUE MAITRE

Heritage, Craft and Cultural Motifs

While Murakami’s work is often associated with otaku culture, kawaii aesthetics, and anime-inspired fantasy, he continues to reference classical Japanese art. The Capucines BB Golden Garden, for instance, draws from his artwork Ogata Kōrin’s Flowers, honouring the chrysanthemum designs of the Edo-period master. The bag features gold-leafed leather and intricate marquetry incorporating five distinct textures.

Other standout editions include the Panda Clutch, hand-set with 6,250 rhinestones, and the Capubloom, inspired by Murakami’s Flower Matango sculpture shown in Versailles’ Hall of Mirrors in 2010. Meanwhile, the Capucines Mini Mushroom embraces pure psychedelia, rendered in silver canvas and embellished with multicoloured resin fungi.

Evolving Brand Codes

Murakami also challenged Louis Vuitton’s visual lexicon. On some bags, the LV monogram is fragmented, re-scaled or partially obscured, as seen on the Capusplit BB and the Capucines Mini Autograph, featuring Murakami’s painted signature on black crocodile leather. Two decades ago, merely recolouring the Monogram was considered radical; today, Murakami views the remixing of brand codes as part of a broader cultural shift. “Everyone does it in order to attract attention,” he observed. “This time… I feel I’m supporting Louis Vuitton’s creative team, who are really free in their ideas.”

The Artycapucines VII — Louis Vuitton x Takashi Murakami collection will be released in highly limited quantities, with pricing available exclusively through Louis Vuitton client advisers.

Murakami’s original Vuitton designs were immortalised in early-2000s pop culture — worn by Paris Hilton, Kim Kardashian, Jessica Simpson and even Mean Girls’ fictional fashion icon Regina George. The artist expected nostalgia to drive interest this time around, but instead found a new generation discovering the work for the first time. “Most people actually didn’t know about my original collaboration 20 years ago,” he said. “In that sense, I think I’m reaching a new audience.”