Louis Vuitton has assembled a colorful menagerie of creatures incorporating its iconic leather goods and accessories as a canvas for creativity and whimsy.

Eight creatures from its "Maroquinaris Zoologicae" collection are on view at the Louis Vuitton Gump store in Waikiki through Aug. 31.

In 2010 the luxury brand invited technical and special effects artist Billie Achilleos to apply her talent to design a collection using LV small leather goods for its Bond Street Maison in London. Since then the traveling exhibition of creatures has expanded to 26, with new designs introduced each year.

The creatures range from insects to furry mammals and slick reptiles, each pieced together with handbags, small leather goods, belts, wallets and other accessories made from Louis Vuitton’s distinct monogrammed leathers, canvas and hardware.

The collection is based on the notion that a handbag or wallet slipped into one’s pocket is like a favorite companion to which one forms an everyday attachment, almost like having a pet.

Achilleos, a London-based artist, is also known as a puppet maker who has worked in window display, film and opera and created works for the Royal Shakespeare Co.

Each of the animals she created focuses on a particular element in the design of the LV products. The Armadillo highlights the soft, durable quality of the leather. The Chameleon displays the variety of color. The Grasshopper comprises products with zippers that make noises one might associate with a singing insect.

The Hawaii exhibition will be celebrated with the unveiling of the newest addition to the collection, a honu with a body made of monogram canvas cosmetic and travel cases. Its shell is crafted from leather wallets and card holders in a palette of cyan, indigo and menthe.