Christie's New York has announced the presentation of « Scarcity & Infinity: An Important Collection », described as the most comprehensive assortment of Louis Vuitton bags from collaborations with contemporary artists, including Takashi Murakami and Frank Gehry, ever offered at auction.
The collection comprises one hundred pieces across 88 lots. It will begin as part of the December Luxury Week and will be offered in a private sale within « Handbags & Fashion: The New York Edit », from 25 November to 10 December.
Limited-edition pieces
Among the lots is a pink and white Artycapucines Mini Tentacles by Murakami, from an edition of 95 pieces, estimated at between 10,000 and 15,000 dollars. The sale also features a red and white Capucines MM Floating Fish, designed by Frank Gehry and inspired by the fish-shaped lamps he created for the Fondation Louis Vuitton, estimated at between 6,000 and 8,000 dollars.
A category that has become established
Rachel Koffsky Parker, international head of handbags and accessories at Christie's, places this sale in the continuity of a movement begun by Marc Jacobs, who was the first to invite artists to reinterpret the Louis Vuitton monogram in the 2000s. According to her, these collaborations between contemporary artists and the Maison have encouraged collectors to view the bag no longer as a simple accessory, but as « une œuvre d'art portable » (a wearable work of art).
She adds that unlike a painting or sculpture confined to the walls of a home, « ces objets accompagnent la vie quotidienne et deviennent des expressions profondément personnelles du goût et de l'identité ». For Koffsky Parker, the boundaries between art and fashion are now fluid, to the point that collecting a handbag alongside contemporary artworks is no longer a novelty but « une catégorie établie et respectée ».
Max Brownawell, head of handbags and accessories for the Amériques line at Christie's, is also quoted in the press release accompanying the announcement of the sale.
