Like I mentioned earlier- we just got back from our first (and for sure not our last) trip to South Africa on Saturday, and I can't get over it.  I'm in love.

So, I was thrilled to see this longer version of the Richard Prince Bread Clip charm released in tribute to South African President, Nelson Mandela for his birthday. The number 46664 (in place of the "Since 1854" on the original clips) is the number of the jail cell that Nelson Mandela called home for 27 years.

Apparently, it's a limited edition piece.  Only 466 were released, so it is numbered 1/466 or whatever on the back.  Part of the proceeds benefit the war against HIV / AIDS.

So Louis Vuitton, LVMH sues artist Nadia Plesner for an image she created that includes a bag that is obviously (and potentially confusingly) similar to a Louis Vuitton Multicolore Audra.  She claims that she didn't use LV's multicolore monogram exactly, and that it was for charity.  LVMH responds, cease & desist.  And honestly, I feel for LV, because for Pete's sake, who wants to be associated with the nightmare going on in Darfur.

But, I don't want to get into the nitty gritty of the suit. Other bloggers are doing that.

I'd like to talk about this subject in light of one of Louis Vuitton's recent artistic collaborations (a collaboration with an artists who represents a genre and movement that makes this case just a smidge ironic, IMO).

First, we have LV's work with Richard Price.  Even if you know very little about the art of Richard Prince before he met Marc Jacobs, you probably know that he is one who made his mark as "The Man Who Invented Appropriation"

"What is appropriation?", you might ask. Well, that's why I'm here...

The definition of "Appropriation Art" from the ArtLex- art dictionary:

"To take possession of another's imagery (or sounds), often without permission, reusing it in a context which differs from its original context, most often in order to examine issues concerning originality or to reveal meaning not seen in the original."

MPR said in it's article "The Man Who Invented Appropriation":

"Painter and sculptor Richard Prince is famous in the art world for taking other people's work and presenting it as his own. Some people see it as theft, others see it as creating a new cultural understanding."

Richard Prince became famous taking pictures of other people's pictures. His photographs of old Marlboro Man ads have made him millions (one alone selling in 2005 for $1.2 million).

Prince said of his use of the Marlboro images,

“No one was looking. This was a famous campaign. If you’re going to steal something, you know, you go to the bank.”

You can read more about what the original photographic artist of one of these Marlboro images had to say about Princes' appropriations in this New York Times article.

Here's an example of a Richard Prince piece appropriately titled "Rolex". It's a "$40,000-$60,000" picture that he took of an old Rolex ad.

I'm just saying... I've always thought it an ironic partnership. Richard Prince, the man who took taking other people's work into the artistic mainstream and Louis Vuitton, maker of what Elle magazine calls "the most counterfeited bags in fashion history".

Another Richard Prince bag, another opportunity for me to blog about Prince's Nurse fetish!

We're excited to have an authentic Richard Prince for Louis Vuitton Mancrazy bag. "Mancrazy", you might ask yourself. "what a strange name. I wonder how he came up with that one?" Well, that's why I'm here

OK... again, Richard Prince is into somewhat rauchy (OK... at least to me, "adult" at least) Naughty Nurse pulp fiction. (Read all about it on my last blog on the subject.)

So in 1963, Peggy Gaddis came out with the book, "Man-Crazy Nurse". Peggy also wrote under the name Peggy Dern. I haven't found the paperback that inspired the pose of the nurse on RP's versions. (If you find it, please let me know!)

Richard Prince was obviously inspired by this one in particular, because he painted three versions of it...

(Richard Prince's Man-Crazy Nurse #1)

(Richard Prince's Man-Crazy Nurse #2)

(Richard Prince's Man-Crazy Nurse #3)

I think he got better with each version.

He obviously, also named the fab Limited Edition Louis Vuitton Mancrazy pictured above after this book. I love, love, love how the colors in his paintings- warm reds and oranges, translate on the bag. But does this also work on the arm?

Yikes, Toni Damli Aaberge... simmer down, girl! You're looking too hot to handle! I totally LOVE this look and the Mancrazy makes it!

What do you think?

You know, the S/S 2008 Richard Prince for Louis Vuitton line? It's called "Big City After Dark"... and again- we get a glimpse into Richard Prince's somewhat odd life and collections.

So I blogged about Richard Prince's borderline fetish with nurses and his love of "nurse fiction".

Well, the "after dark" idea came from another of his adult pulp fiction collections. Read this interesting question in an interview from Dejour Magazine and Richard Prince's answer.

"I read that your inspirations for the designs came from “Louis Vuitton After Dark”. What does that mean, and how did you come to that direction?

The idea of After Dark came from a series of paperback books I'd been collecting. There's this whole series that highlight different cities in the world and talk about what you can do in those cities after dark... I would describe these books as "adult".

Here's the Louis Vuitton Monogram Motard After Dark:

I referenced the Excess Baggage blog in my last post- but you gotta check out his blog entry on the Richard Prince Bread Clip necklace! He's got great pictures... and good info.

Richard Prince is an interesting character. It's really strange how much he lets us into his bizarre little world through his art- and now through his collaboration with Marc Jacobs and Louis Vuitton. What can I say, he creeps me out, I've said that before- but maybe I'll go into that another time.

For now, I thought I'd blog a bit about some of the inspiration behind some of his pieces. In this post, I thought I'd blog about where he gets his names...

So here we have the Richard Prince for Louis Vuitton Heartbreak. That's my sister above wearing it. It's a nice big tote- and you can wear it that way or with the sides clipped together to form a more triangular shape. You can see more pictures on our LV Richard Prince Heartbreak here on our website.

People Magazine Style Watch this month (March) picked the Heartbreak as one of it's "Star Picks"

Anyway... if you didn't know that Richard Prince had a thing for Nurses before the Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2008 fashion show- you do now!

So, RP has been "into" nurses for a while now. He collects several specific genres of paperback pulp fiction. Honestly, I will be the first to admit- I'm kind of a prude, but these books are all tacky at the best, but often sleazy (IMO). We're talking Harlequins, Lesbian Pulp Fiction, and other "Adult" fiction. I will also freely admit that many of the covers have a very cool, enticing stylized effect.

Anyway... so one genre that Prince is into... is "naughty nurse" paperbacks. Yep, I did not know they existed. But, there are hundreds of them- maybe even thousands, and they started back in the '50s. Richard Prince apparently has a pretty interesting collection of them. (This woman has a huge collection if you want to browse- again, the covers are really interesting!)

So, above left, we have Jane Converse's 1968, nurse paperback fiction- "Heartbreak Nurse". Above right, you'll find Richard Prince's 2002 "Heartbreak Nurse" in ink jet print and acrylic on canvas). But wait, Richard Prince's Heartbreak Nurse doesn't look a thing like Jane's does... Take a look:

Above left, we have another one by Jane Converse. This one, the 1965 "classic", "Nurse Forrester's Secret". Compare Nurse Forrester to RP's Hearbreak Nurse...

So, basically... Prince takes real vintage book that retailed for about 25 cents, and literally copies it. He transfers the book covers, changes the colors, ditches the guy, switches a nurse from one book- and sticks her over there. He then throws on a surgical mask, maybe bleeds the lipstick through it and vuala... he sells it for $6.09 million!

Brilliant.

I'll talk more about "appropriation art"- and a ton of more stuff that relates to Richard Prince and his collaboration with Marc Jacobs and Louis Vuitton in later posts. For now- if you're into what he does and want to spend less than $6.09 mil to get some Richard Prince art of your own- take a look at our Richard Prince for Louis Vuitton Heartbreak bag! It's a bargain in comparison!

Well, at least it's a happy ending to Richard Prince's "Spiritual America" exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum in New York on January 9. I know Prince fans will probably sniff, sniff at the close of the exhibit, but fashionphiles from near and far are ready for a party!

On Tuesday the 8th, Louis Vuitton will throw a grande finale soiree in celebration of the close of the exhibit.

Much to the chagrin of "real life" working nursing professionals, Richard Prince has always had a thing about naughty nurses- and the same ones that showed up for his Louis Vuitton fashion show will be milling about carrying the highly anticipated new Prince/Marc Jacobs/Vuitton collaboration bags.

If you've got a hankering for one of these distinctive limited edition bags, and don't want to wait until their release date, February 1- all you need is an invititation to the ball! Those at the party will be able to order one there!

** P.S. Don'tcha think that Richard Prince needs to take some publicity shots? He's a famous fashion icon now, and all the pictures of him look a little creepy. Maybe a smile would help?