Louis Vuitton has launched versions of two of its monogram handbags with built-in flexible OLED digital screens at its Cruise 2020 show.
The Canvas of the Future bags are made from the classic brown and cream Louis Vuitton monogram motif PVC-coated canvas, with black patent leather, and feature functioning video screens on their sides.
The leather pieces were premiered at the fashion house's Cruise 2020 show at the TWA Flight Center at JFK airport in New York.
During the show, the screens displayed moving images of cities. An Instagram post by the brand shows a pair of scrolling web browsers.
The bag comes in two styles: a hand-held bucket bag with a short strap that the brand calls a Duffle bag and a handbag that zips down the middle with two handles, the Speedy Bandouliere 35.
Designed by Louis Vuitton's creative director Nicolas Ghesquière, the prototype bags are described by the brand as a "cutting-edge fusion of technology and craft".
The flexible screens – which allow for 1920 x 1440 resolution – are made using OLED technology, which stands for organic light-emitting diode. It is a lighting technology that can produce extremely thin and flexible light panels that don't require backlighting.
According to Louis Vuitton, the pieces aim to blur the boundaries between your smartphone and bag – a "fusion of savoir-faire and innovation".
"Fusing cutting-edge technology with the maison's signature savoir-faire, the new canvas displays moving images while taking the form of some of Louis Vuitton's most iconic bags," said the brand.
This is not the first time the brand has used OLED technology. In 2017, it released the Tambour Horizon watch with an OLED screen. A sports version of the watch was launched earlier this year.
Other OLED-related projects include a sculptural television by Bodo Sperlein, based on art deco and Bauhaus styles, and a lighting installation for Baskin Robbins Brown by LG Display.
Recently, the fashion house collaborated with industrial designer Marc Newson to release two soft-shell versions of its signature monogram suitcases, making them lighter and more spacious on the inside.