The new breed of handbag designers is ditching traditional leathers and furs for more unique Asian fabrics.
For her Chako accessories, Asian designer Kazumi Nakanishi has looked to the past. All her purses are made from antique kimono and obi [the sash worn around a kimono] fabrics.
“I was never into ‘It’ bags and I really want to be unique,” she explained. “This one-of-a-kind element is what attracts my customers. Being limited and not mass-produced has given me an edge. The patterns within the material are already diverse, so every piece that is cut for each bag is very different.”
Kotur designer Fiona Kotur-Marin is also inspired by traditional fabrics. She only uses limited, eco-friendly, and artisanal Asian materials. These include vintage Chinese brocades and tinalak, a handwoven materials used for the wedding garb of the T’boli tribe in the southern Philippines.
Rafe designer Rafe Totengco has also looked to the Philippines for his handbag fabrics. His unique accessories feature dyed coconut beads, straw-textured weaves, abaca hemp, bamboo, and capiz shells all sourced from the islands.
“I like to use straw every spring/summer,” explained Mr Totengco. “It is tricky, because part of the beauty of using indigenous materials is that they are made by hand, but inconsistencies are part of the charm.”
Fiona Kotur-Marin says the marriage of eastern fabrics and western fashions is a natural one.
“I have found many similarities in traditions of eastern and western decorative arts,” she says. “What we think is exotically sourced in Asia is actually tied to western traditions. Shagreen was used in the art deco period, in furniture and in the Duchess of Windsor’s toiletry kit, for example. I also use pen shell as an eco-friendly tortoiseshell substitute because they are shells that have simply washed up on beaches, but they were also used in the Victorian era.”
And you thought handbags were simply fashion accessories. It sounds like these days they’re also offering a sneak peek at other cultures as well!
[Source: Financial Times]
[Image Source: Quinn.Anya/Flickr]
