On a recent trip to Dover Street Market, Rei Kawakubo’s answer for an interesting store concept, I discovered amongst the glorious array of designer vintage, a small, dainty handbag, placed unaccompanied on a single shelf. This, a most appropriate setting for the accessory, for it retained aspects of both vintage and high-end designer fashion; Designed by Ilaria Venturini Fendi (granddaughter of the top fashion-house’s founder, Adele Fendi) the bag was created out of recycled fabrics from an assortment of various vintage pieces of furniture.
‘Carmina Campus’, literally translated ‘Chants of the Field’ from Latin, was set up by Ilaria in 2006 using both her creativity and eco-minded self to influence and educate the fashion world about the necessity for conserving the environment as well as the need for remaining stylish.
When glimpsing sight of this twee, modest object, that is so delicately positioned on the shelving display, an almost nostalgic sentiment is emitted; a wonder, a speculation, or perhaps a prediction of where and when the various strips of fabric of which it is constructed with began their lives. However, a serious buyer does not have to just guess their bag’s past, as every item in the collection has an identifiable code and photograph, which is kept on file by the company, detailing the original forms of the fabrics used and even how long the bag took to design and manufacture. It is this charming little feature that causes a Carmina Campus accessory to be most desirable.
The idea of a recycled piece may be off-putting for some, suggesting connotations of an unwanted second hand item. However, to me, it outshines the majority of other high-end designer bags and accessories, simply due to the element of rarity which is possesses; because each item in the Carmina Campus collection reuses old, yet good-conditioned fabrics, from various different sources, each bag is completely unique and an entire one off.
This particular bag was created using an ensemble of floral prints, embroidery and delicate trimmings, which through appearance are reflective of the old fashioned era they originally came from and remind me specifically of a ‘Mary Poppins’ style carpet bag I own, which was passed down to me by my grandmother. However, I should mention, when styling a complete outfit around this statement bag, it is probably advisable to not over do the ‘granny chic’ look by teaming it with a floral dress, pearl jewellery and big knit cardigan!
Find out more at http://www.carminacampus.org/
