Louis Vuitton artist makes animal sculptures
French luxury leathergoods company Louis Vuitton has collaborated with UK-based artist Billie Achilleos to create animal sculptures out of bags, pouches, bracelets, belts and other accessories that can be found in a Louis Vuitton maison.
The first 20 creations were showcased last year to inaugurate the windows of Vuitton’s newly-opened New Bond Street maison.
A second wave of the critters – an armadillo, a beaver, a chameleon and a grasshopper – were made by Ms Achilleos to celebrate the launch of Louis Vuitton’s Mon Monogram service for small leathergoods, where customers can add initials and bespoke coloured stripes to their luggage.
“Each animal highlights an element in the design of the products,” Ms Achilleos wrote on her personal blog. “The Armadillo was to highlight the soft yet durable quality of the leather. The Chameleon displays the variety of colour. The Grasshopper is constructed from products with zips and poppers that make satisfying noises like that of the musically gifted insect.”
“And finally my favourite, the Beaver, who’s functionality chops wood, builds dams…and provides cleaver ways of organising one’s life in men’s bags and wallets.”
