PHOTO COURTESY OF LOUIS VUITTON
Louis Vuitton and Takashi Murakami come together again, this time to unveil the Artycapucines VII at Art Basel Paris 2025. Now in its seventh edition, this collaboration merges the Japanese artist’s whimsical world with the maison’s enigmatic Capucines bag, thus resulting in arguably their most exclusive collection yet.
The centrepiece of the presentation is impossible to miss, an eight-metre-tall octopus sculpture inspired by traditional Chinese lanterns. Its luminescent head features Murakami’s Superflat Jellyfish Eyes pattern, while intricate tentacles dominate the exhibition space. They swirl around the display of 11 Artycapucines bags. Even the carpeting mirrors the tentacle motif, turning the entire setup into an immersive experience.
PHOTO COURTESY OF LOUIS VUITTON
Each bag in the collection is a technical and artistic marvel, created using advanced methods such as 3D printing. Murakami’s most beloved characters and motifs come alive on Louis Vuitton’s signature Capucines silhouette. Besides Mr. DOB and the Superflat Panda, catch glimpses of the ever-iconic Smiling Flowers too.
PHOTO COURTESY OF LOUIS VUITTON
Highlights include the Capucines Mini Tentacle and Capucines MM Eye, which echo the playful features of the octopus. Then Capucines XXL Camo and Capucines East West Dragon draw from Murakami’s TIME and Dragon In Clouds Indigo Blue artworks. Another standout is the Capucines Mini Mushroom, which depicts a psychedelic forest with over 100 3D-printed mushrooms.
The new Artycapucines VII collection celebrates a creative partnership that began in 2003, when Murakami first reimagined the iconic monogram. This reunion at Art Basel Paris is a powerful reminder that when Louis Vuitton and Takashi Murakami meet, the result is a joyful, vibrant and utterly unforgettable intersection of fashion and art.
