Copyright © 2025 Motivate Media Group. All rights reserved.
A new design of the handbag pays tribute to artist Florence Stettheimer.
This year marks the fifth anniversary of the Whitney Museum of Art in New York City.
The new main building, which now faces the High Line at 99 Gansevoort Street, was designed by renowned Italian architect Renzo Piano.
Additionally in 2015, to celebrate the unveiling of the newly-designed building in lower Manhattan, the Renzo Piano Building Workshop teamed up with Italian fashion brand Max Mara to design the Whitney bag, which has now become an icon in itself.
The original bag echoes the design and the structure of the Whitney Museum of Art. The elegant lines on the exterior of the bag replicate the shape of the museum, making you feel like you’re holding a piece of your own architecture with the handbag.

“The Whitney bag has been designed to be timeless, and after five years it still represents a modern, elegant and simple way to design, where details and craftsmanship really matter,” partner at the Renzo Piano Building Workshop, Elisabetta Trezzani, said.
Now, in celebration of the fifth anniversary, a special edition of the Whitney bag has been designed. Paying homage to Florence Stettheimer, an American painter and feminist who features heavily within the Whitney, the new bag takes inspiration from the artist’s iconic piece ‘Sun’, created in 1931.
In-keeping with the tones of Stettheimer’s work ‘Sun’, the Whitney bag has been released in five different colours, all of which are lined with a floral print which, again, echoes the iconic piece of art.
Creative director of Max Mara, Ian Griffiths, explained he had always been an admirer of Stettheimer’s work, and when he came across ‘Sun’ he was “blown away”.

“When I discovered ‘Sun’ in the Whitney’s collection, I was blown away by its expressiveness, its joyful exuberance,” he said. “I wanted to infuse the bag with the same quality of ‘naive sophistication’ and a sense of optimism – I think the world needs a dose of that right now.”
The five new shades are taken from the floral tones in the painting: carnation, hydrangea, gerbera, peony and poppy.
Designlab Experience turns iconic spaces into living narratives of Emirati culture, luxury, and craftsmanship.
IDST’s design invites exploration with a thoughtful blend of artisanal craftsmanship and contemporary style.
Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and KCA International are collaborating to launch this new hotel
Roar crafts the PIF Daycare Centre in Riyadh with a calming, sensory-rich environment where design, nature and childhood development come together.
Brush and Switch by Sans Souci bend light in unexpected ways
We speak to Joanna Varettas, Senior Associate Designer at TGP International on the story of Seed & Bloom – a café designed to nurture connection and community engagement
For this year's Downtown Design, Finasi and Pallavi Dean will unveil a bold new installation that speaks the language of material honesty, exceptional craftsmanship, visionary design, and local identity.
This Palm Jumeirah home proves that luxury can be achieved with intention, rather than scale
Here are snippets from the evening.
You can now choose your favourite project from the identity Design Awards 2025 shortlist
The shortlist is revealed for the interior design categories