Gucci, Hermès and Bulgari’s gem-studded bags redefine luxury
At the Paris Haute Couture Week shows, luxury maisons gilded the lily by adding beautiful stones to statement accessories, bringing back the minaudière
Buccellati presented three one-of-a-kind clutch bags drawn from signature archival shapes and embellished with rich embroidery and gemstones. “The idea came from an exhibition last year in Venice featuring pieces from our archive and that included a handbag my grandfather, Mario, made in the 1930s, which everyone loved,” said Andrea Buccellati at the presentation in Paris.
“We designed a capsule of three: one very classic like my grandfather’s but a bit bigger to fit today’s mobile phones, one a bit more modern with gold embroidery, and the third is a complete crazy model – a ball.”
He admits that when his grandfather was working, the most fitting social event was the opera at La Scala in Milan, where Buccellati is based. Nowadays, weddings and galas offer ideal opportunities to carry these precious accessories.
The difficulty – which he hadn’t expected – was finding artisans to make them, the skills being almost lost with the passage of time and the changing needs of the fashion world. The touches of gold and diamonds on the green velvet evening bag were particularly difficult. “There are no artisans able to do this any more. Finally, after much research, I found one artisan with a workshop in Milan able to do the work,” he says. Similarly, it took a while to find a workshop to make the gold clasps adorned with jewels.
Bulgari has long reinforced the link between high jewellery and accessories, combining its expertise in both fields to create luxurious conversation pieces. In April 2024, it announced the appointment of Greek-born London fashion designer Mary Katrantzou as its first creative director of leather goods and accessories. She now works with Lucia Silvestri, the mastermind behind Bulgari’s vibrant jewels, in creating a capsule of precious handbags.
“Before joining Bulgari I collaborated with their high jewellery team through two capsule collections,” says Katrantzou. After joining, she immersed herself in the archive and began working with artisans in Florence and the high jewellery team. “That dialogue is where the magic lies. It’s what fuels collections like Polychroma, where we extend Bulgari’s aesthetic and jewellery savoir faire into the world of unique bags. My vision was concentrated on expanding our footprint of high jewellery bags. The collection explores new silhouettes, special craftsmanship on our exotics, and jewellery closures that transform to be worn as pendants or brooches.”
