Turning your LVs into art - Yes or No?

[jess236]

Just because other people do something, does not make it legal. People rob banks all over the world. It is not legal to rob a bank.

It is not illegal to ask someone to paint your bag, in the same way it is not illegal to ask someone to rob a bank. It is what you ultimately do that is considered legal/illegal.

I am not going to state on the internet what someone could do as a workaround, in regards to bag modification.

At this point, it is in your interest to contact the artist to ask about the details since you are consumed by the legalities - despite stating multiple times that painting your own bag is legal. I urge you to solve this for yourself.

If the real issue is that you wish you could paint LV handbags, then go for it. We can judge your artistic contribution right here. I would be happy to see it.

Some talented ladies have already done that and shared it in this forum

Painting on Louis Vuitton Canvas

Hi there folks. So my husband has a few pieces that he would love to paint on. He is a great artist and wants to be able to do the work himself versus sending it out an artist to for it to be done. Anyone have any idea how this could be done. I know it seems blasphemous but these are a few...

forum.purseblog.com

 

[blushnbellinlvoe]

Just because other people do something, does not make it legal. People rob banks all over the world. It is not legal to rob a bank.

It is not illegal to ask someone to paint your bag, in the same way it is not illegal to ask someone to rob a bank. It is what you ultimately do that is considered legal/illegal.

I am not going to state on the internet what someone could do as a workaround, in regards to bag modification.

@daisy913 I have thoroughly enjoyed your insight and thoughtful perspective that you have taken the time to share. I am by no means an expert in the field but my love of fine arts began in my early teenage years and have persisted to this day. Don’t pay attention to comments - i think you are quite educated and well versed

Judging a piece of work solely on its own merits, without knowing the artists’ background, is even more poignant. Think of the blind auditions from the voice. Just because a Grammy winning artist has a hit, future success is not guaranteed whether following albums are a dud or not. My point is, kitchen art is kitchen art is kitchen art regardless of who does it. Slapping a six figure price tag on something just makes it more expensive. It doesn’t necessarily buy the wanted prestige. It can but not always.

What one considers art is the very basis to OP’s initial question otherwise ‘Turning a handbag into a work of display art’ would be a contradiction of facts - an oxymoron - hence the lack of direct responses. Look people can do what they want with their money but I can’t imagine this concept for myself. I agree and do not consider the Arty Capucines collaborations as fine art either. Fine artists are allowed to do commercial artwork. Still doesn’t make it exceptional. It is fun, artistic, sellable fashion. If one wants to buy into the hype and marketing by all means. I consume fashion too realizing as well that there will always be accepted professional standards in every industry. Just because my talented aunt hand sewn a garment specifically for me with the finest materials doesn’t make it a haute couture dress as defined by the french syndicate. I am ok with all of it. I also proudly display drawings from my 5year old niece on my fridge. Anyways, thank you again for all you have contributed.

@BULL thank you for supporting a healthy forum to discuss topics and addressing hypocritical and gaslighting behaviour when you see it.

 

[daisy913]

"The real issue with using LV bags as a canvas is that the canvas is littered with protected trademarks (refer to the letter Bull showed). It’s basically in violation to use a trademark if you have no legal affiliation with the trademark holder. You can lose a trademark if you don’t protect it, so if you let one person get away with using it, the court has the right to argue that everyone who uses the trademark in a similar manner is allowed to. That’s why LV is so aggressive with protecting their trademark.

So the gray area is modification. You can modify your own pieces as much as you want. If you modify other people’s pieces, know that it is a risky business for you to do so. If you or someone else sells the modified piece, it could lead to trouble too, as the item in question is not actually affiliated with the brand, but to a random person who buys the item, it could be thought of as being affiliated."

And at the end of the day, if you are are an artist interested in protecting yourself, you would ask your lawyer if what you are about to post online could land you in legal trouble."


You blather on and on about the legal protections after stating emphatically that people can paint on their own bags. If you are so fixated on this particular artist - contact her website and get your information before posting conjecture.

I think you completely missed the point of what I have been trying to say and express.

Again, it doesn't matter what YOU consider art. Personally buy what you like, but you are NOT the dictator of fashion or a voice for what is art. Handbags and art are a long-standing nexus - accepted by the art community, luxury handbag designers and artists.

End of thread.

Like I said before, I don’t agree with what the fine art world defines as “art,” but I am aware of it. I mean, I have to be. It’s the profession I studied for and work in now.

I do think fashion, including handbags, can be considered art, as I said before. I just know that it would be hard to change opinions, with what Waterous is doing, in the market that I am in.

If she were a high profile artist, a gallery may be more willing to market it as “fine art,” but the legal issue still stands. I doubt a gallery would want a potential lawsuit with LV.

It doesn’t matter if “no one will see it in public because it’s at home.” You cannot stop someone from selling work, should they want to sell the work.

 

[daisy913]

At this point, it is in your interest to contact the artist to ask about the details since you are consumed by the legalities - despite stating multiple times that painting your own bag is legal. I urge you to solve this for yourself.

If the real issue is that you wish you could paint LV handbags, then go for it. We can judge your artistic contribution right here. I would be happy to see it.

Some talented ladies have already done that and shared it in this forum

Painting on Louis Vuitton Canvas

Hi there folks. So my husband has a few pieces that he would love to paint on. He is a great artist and wants to be able to do the work himself versus sending it out an artist to for it to be done. Anyone have any idea how this could be done. I know it seems blasphemous but these are a few...

forum.purseblog.com

The legal issues should be considered, because in asking if luxury bags could be turned into art pieces, you are asking if it is ok to make art out of protected elements.
And there’s no need to challenge me, but thank you for the offer

 

[jess236]

How Handbags are Changing the Collecting Game, According to Christie’s​

How Handbags Are Changing The Collecting Game, According To Christie’s

Christie's handbag specialist in New York City on why handbags are wearable works of art worth investing in.

theculturetrip.com

With multi-million-dollar price tags separating everyday art connoisseurs from those coveted masterpieces on the auction block, a new generation of collectors—particularly women—are looking to handbags.

Amid a technicolor spectrum of clutches, satchels, and totes at the Christie’s showroom in Rockefeller Center, Caitlin Donovan, Handbags specialist and Head of Sales at Christie’s New York, explains that handbags are essentially “wearable works of art.”

For Christie’s clients who are also serious art collectors, four-to-five-figure price tags are comparatively affordable, and classic handbags kept in pristine condition are reliable investments.

“About 80 percent of what we sell in the department is Hermès, because Hermès has a robust secondary market,” Donovan informs. “It’s even stronger than the primary. Pieces sell for more at auction than they do in the store.” As a result, some of Christie’s top clients—we’re talking “women who are buying Picassos”—have gotten into buying and selling handbags after recognizing the profits they can turn from their recently-purchased, lightly-worn, and vintage accessories.

“The kinds of handbags that we’re marketing are ones that aren’t trendy,” Donovan concludes. “They’re iconic pieces of art.”

 

[vinbenphon1]

no thank you.

 

[Emilyyy23]

Yes, after a while they become boring, sorrynotsorry.

 

[Hammerice22]

Probably no for me. I mean it does look nice online when I see artists doing it. Perhaps only on a bag that was on the lower price end and that I don't carry as much, I would think about it. But overall does not seem like a good ideal for me.

 

[amorisb]

How Handbags are Changing the Collecting Game, According to Christie’s​

How Handbags Are Changing The Collecting Game, According To Christie’s

Christie's handbag specialist in New York City on why handbags are wearable works of art worth investing in.

theculturetrip.com

With multi-million-dollar price tags separating everyday art connoisseurs from those coveted masterpieces on the auction block, a new generation of collectors—particularly women—are looking to handbags.

Amid a technicolor spectrum of clutches, satchels, and totes at the Christie’s showroom in Rockefeller Center, Caitlin Donovan, Handbags specialist and Head of Sales at Christie’s New York, explains that handbags are essentially “wearable works of art.”

For Christie’s clients who are also serious art collectors, four-to-five-figure price tags are comparatively affordable, and classic handbags kept in pristine condition are reliable investments.

“About 80 percent of what we sell in the department is Hermès, because Hermès has a robust secondary market,” Donovan informs. “It’s even stronger than the primary. Pieces sell for more at auction than they do in the store.” As a result, some of Christie’s top clients—we’re talking “women who are buying Picassos”—have gotten into buying and selling handbags after recognizing the profits they can turn from their recently-purchased, lightly-worn, and vintage accessories.

“The kinds of handbags that we’re marketing are ones that aren’t trendy,” Donovan concludes. “They’re iconic pieces of art.”

This article is about the bag as originally created by the designer being art. Not putting art on the bag.

I am a lawyer and @daisy913 is right. I have been watching this thread and I thought her post about it not going to be considered art about copyright infringement but didn't jump in because I wasn't sure.

This is not legal advice just discussion but, you can alter your own bag. That is fine. But what this artist is doing is promoting her works to the bag. And the art she puts on it does not alter the trademark enough to fall under fair use. So if you LV decides to sue her, she is likely to lose. Just because she is not putting a price tag on it on her website is probably not enough to save her in litigation as it is clear promotion by posting it. Now, if she cut the bag up and glued things to it in weird ways that clearly altered its function as a bag then she probably would have a better leg to stand on. But that is not what is happening here. She is putting designs on it but is still clearly an LV bag that can be a bag and not just an art installation.

It is a very nuanced piece of law.

That being said, if you want to paint your bag go ahead. I think it can be cool. I personally wouldn't put a phrase on my bag but I am have seen some awesome abstract pieces painted onto LV bags that I thought were great. All about personal taste.

The issue here legally is not having your bag painted but promoting painting bags you yourself can do in anyway. Unfortunately makes it difficult to find someone who paints bags when they can't really promote it. Got to be in the know.

 

[jess236]

ARTYCAPUCINES COLLECTION​

https://ca.louisvuitton.com/eng-ca/magazine/articles/artycapucines#

After last year’s first collection, the iconic Capucines bag has once again been reinterpreted by six leading contemporary artists.

 

[jess236]

This article is about the bag as originally created by the designer being art. Not putting art on the bag.

I am a lawyer and @daisy913 is right. I have been watching this thread and I thought her post about it not going to be considered art about copyright infringement but didn't jump in because I wasn't sure.

This is not legal advice just discussion but, you can alter your own bag. That is fine. But what this artist is doing is promoting her works to the bag. And the art she puts on it does not alter the trademark enough to fall under fair use. So if you LV decides to sue her, she is likely to lose. Just because she is not putting a price tag on it on her website is probably not enough to save her in litigation as it is clear promotion by posting it. Now, if she cut the bag up and glued things to it in weird ways that clearly altered its function as a bag then she probably would have a better leg to stand on. But that is not what is happening here. She is putting designs on it but is still clearly an LV bag that can be a bag and not just an art installation.

It is a very nuanced piece of law.

That being said, if you want to paint your bag go ahead. I think it can be cool. I personally wouldn't put a phrase on my bag but I am have seen some awesome abstract pieces painted onto LV bags that I thought were great. All about personal taste.

The issue here legally is not having your bag painted but promoting painting bags you yourself can do in anyway. Unfortunately makes it difficult to find someone who paints bags when they can't really promote it. Got to be in the know.

As a lawyer, you better be certain about your pronouncements because intentionally misrepresenting this artist can enter into the tort of slander/libel...she can sue you or the people intentionally misrepresenting her on this forum. At this point in this thread it is very clear to anyone commenting that the artist is a professional artist who is also adding her art to handbags and turning them into display pieces. Any comments that damage her reputation can be a legal issue. You have the right to your opinion but this this forum is beginning to cross that line. As we see, one poster here seems to find this all funny. It's a little disturbing. It's better to let this topic go and redirect your comments to the topic of the thread. Any concerns you have about this particular artist you should resolve by contacting her website.

The topic of the thread is would you turn your LV's into display art. You might want to refocus your comments on the topic.

 

[jess236]

Here is another artist who has been using luxury handbags as her canvas since at least 2013. In the article she states that she would love to do a collaboration one day with a fashion brand.

Would you let this woman paint your Goyard or Hermès? Meet the artist who is using designer handbags as a canvas – and fans can’t get enough

Meet the artist who is using designer handbags as a canvas

It almost seems too coincidental that six months ago, a painter legally named Boyarde would discover Goyard handbags as her new favorite canvas.

www.dailymail.co.uk

"It almost seems too coincidental that six months ago, a painter legally named Boyarde would discover Goyard handbags as her new favorite canvas.

She customizes Goyard, as well as Hermès, Louis Vuitton, and Balenciaga bags with feminist-tinged work for private clients who pay up to $3,000 to have their already-pricey goods upgraded by Boyarde’s lofty hand."

 

[BULL]

As a lawyer, you better be certain about your pronouncements because intentionally misrepresenting this artist can enter into the tort of slander...she can sue you or the people intentionally misrepresenting her on this forum. At this point in this thread it is very clear to anyone commenting that the artist is a professional artist who is also adding her art to handbags and turning them into display pieces. Any comments that damage her reputation can be a legal issue.

The topic of the thread is would you turn your LV's into display art. You might want to refocus your comments on the topic.

Speaking of legal, let's see if her legal team is as amateurish as the the kitchen art she ruined the Neverfull with.
I contacted the Louis Vuitton Legal HQ at [email protected] if they'd be lovely enough to confirm that the bags in the "collection" are authentic Vuitton pieces, because until they are not willing to give written confirmation, I am not considering buying from the famous artist. Hopefully this will accelerate the process of serving some justice. Usually it is served cold, even in the Bahamas.

 

[BULL]

ARTYCAPUCINES COLLECTION​

https://ca.louisvuitton.com/eng-ca/magazine/articles/artycapucines#

After last year’s first collection, the iconic Capucines bag has once again been reinterpreted by six leading contemporary artists.

Almost everyone mentioned this collection already. But this is an official release.

 

[BULL]

Here is another artist who has been using luxury handbags as her canvas since at least 2013. In the article she states that she would love to do a collaboration one day with a fashion brand.

Would you let this woman paint your Goyard or Hermès? Meet the artist who is using designer handbags as a canvas – and fans can’t get enough

Meet the artist who is using designer handbags as a canvas

It almost seems too coincidental that six months ago, a painter legally named Boyarde would discover Goyard handbags as her new favorite canvas.

www.dailymail.co.uk

"It almost seems too coincidental that six months ago, a painter legally named Boyarde would discover Goyard handbags as her new favorite canvas.

She customizes Goyard, as well as Hermès, Louis Vuitton, and Balenciaga bags with feminist-tinged work for private clients who pay up to $3,000 to have their already-pricey goods upgraded by Boyarde’s lofty hand."

This is radically different. She is personalising the clients' own stuff. She is not selling painted Birkins.
Even if she would do the same thing, as others pointed out, if someone else does it, it doesn't make it legal. But in this case this very talented young lady makes a VERY different business. It is very cool actually, raw and honest. Decent pop culture pieces. Thank you for sharing, she is amazing