Louis Vuitton and Sotheby's have come together on a dedicated auction of "exceptionally remade" Artycapucines bags, to raise money for charities all over the world.
A collection of 22 uniquely designed bags - each one remade, signed and presented by a different artist in a Monogram-covered Louis Vuitton Boîte Chapeau - are available for auction, with each sale going to a specific charity of the artist's choice.
Louis Vuitton's ongoing 'Artycapucines' collection gives artists the platform to express their unique vision onto the luxury fashion house's timeless classic: the Capucines bag. The design is named after the Parisian street Rue Neuve-des-Capucines, on which Louis Vuitton opened his first store in 1854.
First released in 2013, the Capucines bag has acted as the perfect canvas over the past four years of this artistic initiative. During this time, the fashion house has invited six different contemporary artists per year to express their unique creativity; each design is then sold in a limited-edition run of 200 for each artist, selling at ?8,000 per bag, according to WWD. However, the bags created for this special Sotheby's auction will be one of a kind.
A total of 22 artists are taking part in the charity auction. The creatives have customised the handbags using artisanal techniques, with each artist including their signature underneath the carrying case, inspired by a 1924 monogrammed Louis Vuitton hatbox design.
Proceeds will benefit organisations globally, such as UNICEF, Me?decins sans Frontie`res, The United Negro College Fund, Teach for China, World Central Kitchen, Opendorf Afrika and RED, which fights AIDS.
Participating artists this year include Amélie Bertrand, Daniel Buren, Sam Falls, Urs Fischer, Gregor Hildebrandt, Donna Huanca, Huang Yuxing, Alex Israel, Liu Wei, Peter Marino, Beatriz Milhazes, Vik Muniz, Jean-Michel Othoniel, Park Seo-Bo, Paola Pivi, Ugo Rondinone, Tschabalala Self, Josh Smith, Jonas Wood, Kennedy Yanko, Zeng Fanzhi, and Zhao Zhao.
The Artycapucines auction will be open for online bidding from 28 June until 12 July at sothebys.com and the 22 bags will be available for public viewing at Sotheby's Paris from 1 to 5 July, coinciding with Couture Fashion Week in the French capital.