Women’s Accessories Spring Summer 2007 – Antique methods for modern Handbags

From the hills of Sardinia arrives the latest fashion in personalized handbags and purses. Antonello, a young designer from the small town of Siligo, has transformed the traditional cloths and patterns into fashion for the modern world. The recurring pattern is the pistoccu, a Sardinian flower. The cloths are made with antique procedures. A graduate from London college of Fashion he did stints with numerous designers including Antonio Marras, Esprit, Prada, Bella Freud, Paul Smith, Mulberry, Hackett, and Fendi. Antonello does not have a problem finding qualified artisans to produce these works of art. The company is located in his home town.

While at home visiting his family a local weaver gave him a saddlebag (worn by the men either over their shoulder or on the animal’s back). It was while living in constant contact with the traditional woven articles (including luxury carpets, luxury tapestries, luxury furniture mats and festival trappings for the horses and oxen), that Antonello first developed his interest in luxury eco-friendly fabrics.

What fascinated Antonello particularly about these exclusive luxury textiles was the remarkable variety of subjects depicting not only details of everyday country life but also reflecting the influences of the different civilizations present in Sardinia n culture. The decorations to be found on the textiles are characteristic of the slow evolution of the art to the present day.

Apparently Antonello is not the only one fascinated by the textured fabrics adorned with vibrant colors. Antonello’s handbags are appearing in both casual and semiformal occasions. It is not unusual to see one of his bags draped over the back of some young girl flittering around town on a Vespa or casually hung over the back of a chair while its owner is sipping a Prosecco. In Milan the bags are widely available but may not hit the rest of Italy until next year.

The hand-woven cloths are called Pibiones and you can find out more about Antonello and his creations at Pibiones by Antonello.

Tags: Women's Fashion Italian Designers Sardinia Accessories Spring Summer Handbags Travel Italy