Turning your LVs into art - Yes or No?

[jess236]

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.

Bizarre reply. Bizarre fixation on bashing this artist. Just bizarre.
I find this disturbing.

Enjoy your day ladies, I'm done with this thread.

 

[amorisb]

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

The Miss Piggy bag is fire. I would paint my Goyard with that for sure.

I would like to point out here, she is also in London which has different laws, and she is advertising a service rather than bags. Jane’s site looks like she is advertising bags and that is what could be considered an infringement. Using someone else’s mark for commercial gain.

That may not be the intention, but she says her bespoke line. If it were a service it would sound something like customizations I have done.

 

[snibor]

No. And this thread is exhausting.

 

[Grande Latte]

Wow. I'm all for turning your LV into art. Especially a beat up, no longer useful piece from a million years ago.

After all, if you own the bag, and if you happen to be a very talented leather smith/ artist, I don't see why not? I saw this on Instagram. I cannot believe it, this guy literally turned his piece into a piece of ART.

 

[880]

I am a lawyer and a fine artist, (though I know little about IP or art law), and I often hve my bags (mainly Hermes and some bottega) altered by a third party professional who is skilled in aftermarket leather restoration. I currently own only one LV, a stephen sprouse black and white long alma, aKa the knitting needle alma. even if I still owned a more conventional monogram piece, I doubt that I would commission aftermarket art work bc of the monogram. When I have aftermarket work done on my Hermes bags, I somehow have an easier time treating the bag as a so called canvas for the professional service. I also have no intention of selling for profit. It’s just for my personal use. it may not be logical, but it’s my arbitrary line in the sand.

IMO, an artist transforming a bag into a different category altogether. Like LV bag scraps inserted into a wall collage. Which would be what others perceive as Art, the branded scraps simply being a component of the piece.

A private individual can also choose to alter their personal bag with a stencil, motif or image, usually done by a service specializing in that process. Still a bag, but individual aftermarket alteration. And, usually not a legal issue unless the service provider intended to mass produce illustrated bags for commercial sale to the extent that would infringe upon IP rights.

LVMH owns LV, Dior, etc, and I’ve read articles that LVMH considers dior to be the (premier luxury) crown retail jewel. Dior has commissioned artists to create what is marketed as Art Bag. It’s officially sanctioned by Dior, and often commands a premium price over regular leather bags, but not gene as high as dior bespoke couture bags or exotic. The bag is considered a Dior or LV product, and each has a limited production. Both Dior and the artists in question refer in press to these bags as art projects/bags and fashion, but not Art (Whose IP would belong to the Artist)

Jane Finds, where JF commissions aftermarket designs on a BKC or other bag and sells them for a premium. I’ve often thought that this practice, usually using distressed bags, is niche enough not to be an issue.

I believe the real issue is with the LV happy meal bag or the subject bag of the thread, if it is commercially sold as a work by the artist, rather than the artist creating after market images on the bag. Especially if the bag were commercially sold in multiples for profit. BC to the average person, it retains It’s identity as a bag rendition from a premier luxury brand (the art work is insufficient to transform or distinguish it.

While premier brands market the licensed bags as art bags, this is simply marketing, and the brand still considers them fashion. This is distinguished from the LV happy meal bag. Especially if the artist markets it as art (as the artists work product rather than that of the brand; and even if it’s priced like a car or more; it’s still recognizable as a branded bag.