Lulu Guinness has met her perfect design partner in innovative young artist Joseph Steele. Revered for her quirky lip clutches, Guinness has transformed her ‘hug and hold’ handbags into portable pieces of art with Steele’s signature paint splatters.

Steele has individually decorated the bags – which come in Guinness’ trademark black, red and stone hues – with contrasting 'splash' tones.

The artist, who has been hailed as the heir to Damien Hirst, is part of the new tribe of Young British Artists, renowned for their unconventional and controversial methods of making art. Working with many different types of media, Steele is best known for his 'explosive' work – which has included exploding paint, canvases and mannequins prior to handbags.

Although this is Guinness’ first actual collaboration with an artist, her designs have received creative recognition in the past: the Florist Basket is in the permanent fashion collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and the Collectables have been the subjects of two exhibitions, in Sotheby’s London and New York.

The limited edition collection of 180 paint project clutch bags, each signed and numbered by Steele and Guinness, are priced at £295 each and available to purchase in stores and online from 12 July.

Lulu Guinness for Uniqlo

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