We caught up with Italian handbag designer Letizia Morandi to find out more about her, her fashion career and her eponymous label handbag label.
Tell us about your new self titled handbag range?
The spring summer collection is made up of a few styles not only driven by some new fashion trend but inspired instead by the need to express my personal point of view on bags. The whole collection is based on rounded and wrinkled lines and swollen volumes and the materials are light and smooth. The idea was to create some bags that are elegant and feminine but easy use and that are modern, trendy and will hopefully attract a celebrity clientèle.
How has your background helped your career?
I think everybody gets influenced by one’s own background.Since I was a child I have always liked to draw and sketch. But also, my parents owned a tailoring laboratory where they produced silk garments for some brands such as Ferragamo and Gucci.I used to spend a lot of time there and I liked to observe how to make paper patterns and how to turn fabrics into finished shirts and garments.I was really fascinated by watching people working with their hands creating beautiful pieces. And this obviously influenced my way of considering fashion. This helped me a lot because I learnt to appreciate the quality of products. This experience made me curious about the process of making things, whether they are pieces of garments or bags or jewels or anything else.
As a handbag designer, do you follow trends when designing? Fashion trends are important guide lines for all designers but I also think it is important to follow my own taste and try to make something that really reflects me more than fashion trends. I would like to create something that stands out from the crowd and people can recognize that is the Letizia Morandi brand.
Where do you get inspiration for your designs from?
There is not a specific way or moment where and when to get an inspiration. I think everything I see or taste or hear is inspiration. But I work very hard to achieve really good innovative designs.
After working with such prominent brands, what is the most important
thing you have learnt? Of course I have learnt a lot since I started as a sketcher of jewellery and accessories. During the past ten years I have worked on many different products and with many brands, including with the wonderful Jimmy Choo. This was a great experience anyway. But to have
the chance to work closely with a lot of producers and suppliers is what I consider to be the most important and exciting thing I experienced during my career.
Describe the type of women you design for?
I am not actually thinking of a specific kind of woman when designing. I think instead, that bags are not simple accessories of women’s wardrobe but main pieces. I think they reveal a lot of who’s carrying them.So, I like to consider my perfect target client to be a very self
conscious woman who’s aware that it is not necessary to keep up with the latest fashion trends to be elegant and original. My ideal client woman is looking for quality rather than quantity and she perfectly knows that you don’t need to be showy to be noticed.
How do you incorporate the Italian craftsmanship to your designs?
All the raw materials and hardware are Italian as well each bag is produced in Italy by small craft factories and skilled hands.The whole production process is serial of course, as it would be impossible to keep up with timing and schedules. But both the factories and the work process are still organized following traditional craftsmanship methods simply improved by using modern technologies and faster machinery, though the handmade component is still a great part of the whole process.
What type of materials do you use?
I source only the fine quality materials. This collection is made of lamb nappa leather and genuine python skin. Nappa is of finest quality. The touch is very smooth and the finishing is totally natural to keep the soft touch and light weight. Python is natural finished as well. The
touch is soft and light. The hardware used are totally brass platinum and pink gold finished.
What advice would you give aspiring handbag designers?
To focus on learning as well the technical aspect and the production process not only on hand sketching or computer design, but spend as much time as possible inside factories.
Describe your bags in 3 words.
Elegant, lightweight, classy.
Letizia will be debuting the latest collect from the label at the LGN Events Summer Showcase on July 8th 2011 to RSVP please email joy@lagenevenorth.co.uk
For more information visit: www.letiziamorandi.it
