Erwin Wurm Turns Lanvin Bags & Shoes Into Art
Lanvin Lab, the French French couture house’s “space to dream and play,” has revealed the second chapter of its ongoing creative project: a large-scale sculptural work designed and created by acclaimed artist Erwin Wurm.
Building on Lanvin's debut collection alongside Future, the Maison commissioned Wurm to create the stunning sculptural artwork that will travel across various public spaces in China over the coming months.
The “Lanvin Blue” humanlike figure references two current Lanvin icons in the Pencil Cat Bag and the Cash sneaker.
The Pencil Cat Bag draws inspiration from an early twentieth century collaboration between Jeanne-Marie Lanvin, the Maison’s founder, and the famed interior and furniture designer Armand-Albert Rateau.
While the Cash sneaker is a cross-cultural riff between fine craftsmanship and the attitude of twenty-first century rap.
The resulting work is a gesture made in Wurm’s own instantly identifiable visual language marked by distinctive contemporary emblems of Lanvin.
“Symbols of self-expression are what we desire,” said Wurm of the finished sculpture. “We often look for this self- expression in objects, such as a beautiful handbag, that represent how we would like to be seen by others.”
The work will be installed near Lanvin boutiques in Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Chengdu, Shenzhen, and Shenyang including an appearance at the Fosun Foundation in Shanghai, where Wurm will open a major solo exhibition in June.
