Mary Katrantzou’s boundless creativity is reflected in her designs, her innovative drive and electric personality woven into each and every collection she makes. Lauded as the “Queen of Prints”, the unapologetic designer has merged her exuberant eclecticism with BVLGARI’s codes of contemporary classicism for an expansive collaboration. Katrantzou describes her own personal style as daring and bold, but underpinned with a sense of purpose and intention. “It’s always been about creating an image that tells a story. There is always a narrative.” And create a story she did. Her capsule collection with BVLGARI is inspired by the concept of metamorphosis, consisting of bags, miniaudières and silk scarves, all imbued with Katrantzou’s signature stylistic narrative and a reinterpretation of BVLGARI’s iconic Serpenti Forever.
Greek designer Mary Katrantzou with the Serpenti Metamorphosis bag
The Serpenti is born anew in a burst of butterflies, Katrantzou bringing to life an optimistic message of rebirth, evolution and change. The Serpenti Metamorphosis bag, which requires over 40 hours of work from a skilled artisan, sees the stately serpent morphing into a kaleidoscope of three-dimensional embroidered butterflies, while an updated snakehead closure provides an elegant finish.
Natalia Vodianova with the Serpenti Metamorphosis bag
Photo: Hugo Comte
Katrantzou has always strived to push boundaries and challenge herself creatively. To her, collaboration is the future and an additional means to reach beyond the limits and surpass expectations. While staying true to her intrinsic brand DNA, Katrantzou’s capsule collection with BVLGARI shows the intentionality of her designs alongside the atelier’s craftsmanship and expertise. “First and foremost, you are always being true to yourself, but it creatively challenges you to look at design in a different way. To be able to open up your creativity to the codes of a different creative mind or a different creative brand.”
While the collection was created with both parties working remotely from one another, the detail and expertise across each piece is instantly apparent. This was particularly impressive given the technical novelty of some pieces that BVLGARI had never created before. “Many things were technically very challenging, but for the BVLGARI team it felt like another sunny Sunday”, laughed Katrantzou, detailing the precision required just to create interchangeable handles and crossbody chains while ensuring an even distribution of weight.
Natalia Vodianova with the Serpenti Metamorphosis miniaudière
Photo: Hugo Comte
The Serpenti Metamorphosis miniaudière was also a first for the prestigious house, a brand new iteration of the brand’s legendary Serpenti motif. And reinterpreting something as iconic as the Serpenti Forever was a challenge that Katrantzou took with stride. “It’s a symbol for so many things: a symbol of femininity, a symbol of transformation, a symbol of rebirth”. Upon visiting historical archives in Rome, Katrantzou was deeply inspired, excitedly deciding the concept for the Serpenti Metamorphosis miniaudière at one of the earliest meetings for the collection, her innovative concept behind the piece rendering it one of her favourite works from the collection. Available in two different sizes, the delicate snake head miniaudière blurs the line between art, accessory and jewellery, with beautifully lacquered enamelled scales and metallic, drop-shaped eyes.
Injecting her vivacious life and personality into BVLGARI was an easy feat for Katrantzou – the two brands had a synergistic connection from the start, a relationship which Katrantzou credits to their shared Greek and Roman roots. “Even if you don’t consciously think about Greece, my upbringing and heritage is always filtered by that. And I think that is why I can see the similarities and I can decode it. I can see where the symbols come from, how they are used and juxtaposed and how they build this incredible world of BVLGARI. And it feels easy. To jump into that and be able to design within that world.”
Editor
Carina FischerCredit
Lead image: Hugo Comte
