UK designer gives Serpenti bags a bold twist
In a collaboration with Bulgari, renowned, irreverent Nicholas Kirkwood uses chevron pattern on the signature design
Bulgari’s iconic Serpenti Forever bags, with their signature enameled snake head clasp, are reinterpreted through the visionary eyes of shoe designer Nicholas Kirkwood, renowned for his irreverently feminine shoe designs.
This collaboration makes sense artistically because Bulgari and Kirkwood draw inspiration from innovation, architectural design and graphic forms. Both are bold, unconventional and daring in their creativity.
The result is a new capsule collection with a highly distinc- tive studded chevron pattern. Sinuous zigzags cut across the prized leather, evoking the graphic scales and lithe movements of the serpent, a longstanding Bulgari icon.
For the Serpenti collection, the British designer’s creativity was sparked by two moments.
The first was his first visit to the Bulgari jewelry atelier in Rome, where master craftsmen work on one-of-a-kind pieces that celebrate the beauty and power of each gemstone.
The second was the “Serpenti Form” Bulgari exhibition in Rome, a showcase of how the snake motif has inspired various artists, sculptors, fashion designers, filmmakers and photographers, both contemporary and from early periods.
Kirkwood’s take is in the form of a richly textured chevron pattern, defined by a mix of varnished studs, both flat and round buttons and matte pyramidal ones. Adding a new twist to Bulgari’s signature enameled snake head clasp, this adorns the backpacks and gold chain-strap shoulder bags.
The gemstone-inspired color palette of black and white, pink spinel, royal
sapphire and gold completes the eye-catching, three-dimension allure of this collection.
Each bag reflects the key design codes shared by Bulgari and Kirkwood—blending unexpected materials and colors to a high-power end effect.
“I created the chevron patterns using rubberized studs which have faceted ends that reminded me of diamond settings and some of the spectacular gemstones I had seen in the Bulgari High Jewellery atelier in Rome,” Kirkwood said.
I created the chevron patterns using rubberized studs which have faceted ends that reminded me of diamond settings Nicholas Kirkwood