The latest in an ongoing series of creative collaborations, Valextra’s new collection was designed Bethan Laura Wood who brought her special brand of whimsy to the rigorous leather bags. Titled ‘Toothpaste’, the collection is, as Wood puts it, is ‘somewhere between Neapolitan ice cream and your father’s 1970s ties, with a bit of mint toothpaste’.
The British designer looked at the work of artist Eduardo Paolozzi’s during her research, but also drew from a wider pool of inspiration, from the curved typography of M/M Paris to the logo from the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. The collection was also a continuation of research that first began with her interconnecting ‘Playtime’ tables in 2010, a graphic furniture design that has become one of her signatures.
The Valextra collection features new interpretations on two of the brand’s classics: the Iside, a rigid-handle handbag, and the Passpartout, a spacious and multifunctional day bag and the latest addition to the brand’s family. Wood created new handles and clasps for the former, and accessories for the latter’s front pocket. The palette, a mix of murky 1970s tones and pop jewel hues, is complemented by Wood’s colorful accessories, in a mix of pastels and candy colours.
Her design is characterised by a modular ‘wiggle’ motif inspired by Valextra’s own signature Costa treatment, a black painted edge punctuating the bags. ‘I really like the products’ detailing,’ explains Wood. ‘Valextra’s world is clean, graphic and minimal. I wanted to see where my world could collide with them.’ Wood engineered seven handle designs, four clasps and three pocket accessories, creating possibilities galore for the bags’ different identities.
Valextra has previously worked with designers such as Martino Gamper on a collection of bags and an pop-up installation, and Philippe Malouin on the brand’s London flagship boutique. ‘What they do is really brave,’ says Wood. ‘Their collaborations look completely different, they work with such different people and they are not afraid of conceptual interpretations.’
Wood’s collection is available from the brand’s Milan boutique, presented in a site-specific installation inspired by Paolozzi’s visual universe. It’s yet another reinvention for the 80-year-old company (the anniversary celebrations this year have included a collaboration with Snarkitecture), affirming its ability mix new influences into its heritage.
The installation marks the launch of the Italian label’s ‘Toothpaste’ collection, designed by Bethan Laura Wood
The designer also created different accessories for the Passpartout pockets
Left, one of the designer’s most complex handles comprises a modular wiggle design with several layers. Right, Wood’s references included this interlocking tube artwork
The piping of a Mexican industrial plant was among Wood‘s inspirations
Installation view at the Valextra boutique in Milan
The mood board and a series of prototypes for the handles, clasps and front pocket designs in Wood’s London studio
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Valextra website
ADDRESS
Valextra
Via Alessandro Manzoni 3
20121 Milan
-
The all-electric Mini Aceman desperately wants you to have a good time behind the wheelWhat ingredients make up Mini’s secret sauce, and can an electrified version retain the flavour? We sample the Aceman EV to find out
-
The best beauty products of the month, from Prada mascara to Westman Atelier’s bronzing dropsThe best beauty products of the month, selected by Wallpaper*, include a new Prada mascara, Westman Atelier’s bronzing drops and more
-
‘Ranger’: documenting ‘the first female conservation ranger programme in East Africa’‘Ranger’, a new film set in Kenya’s Maasai homeland, tells the story of 12 women who became East Africa’s first all-female anti-poaching unit
-
‘He made something not merely popular, but the rage’: unpacking Elio Fiorucci’s fabulous fashion legacyAn expansive new retrospective at Triennale Milano explores the colourful life and work of Elio Fiorucci, who is synonymous with 1970s hedonism and glamour
-
‘What does a Luca Faloni jacket look like?’: this suede bomber marks the brand’s first foray into outerwear‘Made for years to come’, this lightweight bomber marks Luca Faloni’s entry into outerwear and encapsulates the label’s provenance-focused approach
-
Rovi Lucca is the Milanese label creating ‘elevated workwear for garden lovers’Rooted in Italian craft, Bradley Seymour and Fabrizio Taliani’s horticulturally inspired Rovi Lucca finds inspiration in the gardens of Lucca, Tuscany
-
Luca Magliano takes Wallpaper* on a tour Bologna, the home of his non-conformist fashion labelLuca Magliano gives Wallpaper* an insider’s guide to Bologna, Italy, the lifeblood of his on-the-rise label – from a museum of queer history to a mystical cemetery (and plenty of gelato)
-
The best fashion moments at Milan Design Week 2024Scarlett Conlon discovers the moments fashion met design at Salone del Mobile and Milan Design Week 2024, as Loewe, Hermès, Bottega Veneta, Prada and more staged intriguing presentations and launches across the city
-
Paul & Shark hits the slopes with a Cortina ski resort takeover‘Paul & Shark takes Cortina’ sees the label take over the Italian ski resort, kitting out the town’s ski club and Scoiattoli chalet
-
Valextra’s unique Kyoto outpost combines traditional Japanese craft with Italian midcentury designHoused in a former teahouse, the new Casa Valextra store in Kyoto debuts the Milanese leather goods label’s offering against a backdrop of iconic Italian design
-
Jonathan Anderson on his new store in Milan, an ode to the city’s design codesFor his second JW Anderson store – and first outside of London – Jonathan Anderson has set up shop in Milan with a space that pays homage to the city’s stylistic codes. Here, he tells Wallpaper* the story behind the opening
