[dropcap]L[/dropcap]adies, drop your gloves, jumpers and any other winter warmers you may have! A hot new handbag Spring collection has come to our attention.
Deluxe Italian designer bag company PRAMMA recently launched its Spring/Summer 2016 Collection of newly sleek designed clutches and bright coloured handbags. Created and designed by Italian-born Stefania Pramma, each handbag is prepared with the expected love of an Italian echoing comfort from its smooth and delicate shoulder snake chain wrap, simplicity in style and architecture, and character through the addition of idiosyncratic hardware. What is more, the designer’s personality shines through as she fuses her Northern Italian heritage with a global perspective of a naturalised New Yorker as well as her love for fine jewellery, reflected through the use of precious and semi-precious stones minimally placed onto the bags.
Valeria Napoleone and House of Voltaire team (Joe Scotland). Courtesy of PRAMMA.
To celebrate the launch of the label’s second collection, Stefania Pramma hosted on Tuesday 10th November an exclusive cocktail evening in London, Notting Hill in the upmarket Italian restaurant “Assaggi”. Face-painted performers, card games and backwards singing were the central surprising occurrences of the event all the while casting the bags as the main focus of the evening.
Face-painted performer at PRAMMA Spring Collection 2016 launch event. Courtesy of PRAMMA.
Performer playing card game at PRAMMA cocktail launch event. Courtesy of PRAMMA.
British artist and illustrator Julie Verhoeven surprised attendees with a special performance with the group Goodbye Leopold. The ethereal performance consisted of the trio group singing lyrics backwards and acting out a game of cards among the public, wearing black garments and a mask hiding every inch of their faces. The actors’ gestures were consequently the highlighted elements of the show, focusing on the theme of “bagism”. As the name implies, the act literally translates into wearing a bag over one’s head for the audience to focus entirely on the message conveyed rather than the performer’s appearance. This tool of communication, originally employed by John Lennon and Yoko Ono as part of their peace campaign in the late 60s, was evidently reflected in Verhoeven’s performance, placing the PRAMMA designs into a fresh and inventive context.
Stefania Pramma and Valeria Napoleone with the performers. Courtesy of PRAMMA.
Julie Verhoeven and Stefania Pramma. Courtesy of PRAMMA.
The intimate event was graced by the presence of Stefania Pramma’s twin sister, the Italian art collector and philanthropist Valeria Napoleone, along with popular blogger Alice Naylor-Leyland, British design critic Alice Rawsthorn and journalist Betty Bachz.
Betty Bachz with PRAMMA handbag. Courtesy of PRAMMA.
Valeria Napoleone and Alice Rawsthorn. Courtesy of PRAMMA.
This new collection has definitely put a little spring in our step to overcome the chill of winter: a definite #TAGloves!
By Claire Bouchara
Photos: by PRAMMA
