Style / Jewellery

Bulgari Serpenti Forever through the Eyes of Famed Shoe Designer Nicholas Kirkwood

Bulgari’s latest handbags are artistically hypnotic with the instantly recognisable studded chevron patterns. Nicholas Kirkwood lands his signature style to the new Serpenti Forever Capsule

Aug 30, 2017 | By Jonathan Ho
From left: Serpenti Forever by Nicholas Kirkwood, Flap Cover, Stud Chevron Gold/Nappa Gold; Stud Chevron White Ceramic/Black/Calf leather black and Stud Chevron black/Calf leather black. Retail price: SG$3980

From left: Serpenti Forever by Nicholas Kirkwood, Flap Cover, Stud Chevron Gold/Nappa Gold; Stud Chevron White Ceramic/Black/Calf leather black and Stud Chevron black/Calf leather black. Retail price: SG$3980

Twice named as Accessories Designer of the year at the British Fashion awards, Nicholas Kirkwood has been making a name for himself as the go-to-designer for iconic, avant garde and irreverently feminine shoe designs. Blending his flair for fine arts with innovative sculpted designs, Nicholas Kirkwood was the first Shoe Designer to be awarded the British Fashion Council/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund. Kirkwood launched his namesake label in 2005, debuting his famed Beya and Cassati collections to wide acclaim. Today, the famed shoe designer brings brings that unique ‘Nicholas Kirkwood’ aesthetic and quirk to Bulgari, reinterpreting the iconic Serpenti Forever bags to striking new forms.

Bulgari Serpenti Forever through the Eyes of Famed Shoe Designer Nicholas Kirkwood

Bringing his refined eye for fine arts, Kirkwood takes the already distinctive Bulgari Serpenti Forever bags with their iconic enameled snakehead clasps and imbues them with a fashion forward sensibility which builds on his talent for sculptural and architectural forms. The result makes bold use of Bulgari’s graphic snake-head motif, taking the Bulgari Serpenti Forever capsule collection to unconventional and daring new heights.

From left: Serpenti Forever Wallet on chain, Stud Chevron White Ceramic/Black/Calf leather Ceramic White; Serpenti Forever Envelope clutch, Stud Chevron White Ceramic/Black/ Calf leather Ceramic White/Light gold; Serpenti Forever Backpack, Stud Chevron black/Smooth calf leather black. Retail price: SG$1470, $1560 and $4330

From left: Serpenti Forever Wallet on chain, Stud Chevron White Ceramic/Black/Calf leather Ceramic White; Serpenti Forever Envelope clutch, Stud Chevron White Ceramic/Black/ Calf leather Ceramic White/Light gold; Serpenti Forever Backpack, Stud Chevron black/Smooth calf leather black. Retail price: SG$1470, $1560 and $4330

Bulgari’s latest handbags are artistically hypnotic with the instantly recognisable studded chevron patterns. Across the new Bulgari Serpenti Forever capsule collection, sinuous zigzags make themselves noticed on a canvas of artisanal leather, calling to mind the signature scales and sinuous movements of the serpent.

“ 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. “ – Nicholas Kirkwood on the Bulgari Serpenti Forever Capsule

Genesis of Kirkwood’s Serpent

Sparked by Kirkwood’s first visit to the Bulgari jewellery atelier in Rome, the designer handbags blend the muse of Bulgari’s seductive bejewelled accessories and the artistry of the brand’s heritage motif as discovered by Kirkwood at the ‘Serpenti Form’ Bulgari exhibition in Rome. The exhibition showcased Bulgari’s snake motif and how it inspired generations of sculptors, fashion designers, film makers and photographers, it is the sum of this history as seen through the eyes of artists present and past which enthused Kirkwood to produce a new range of designer handbags for the Bulgari Serpenti Forever capsule.

From left: Serpenti Forever by Nicholas Kirkwood, Wallet on chain, Stud Chevron Royal Sapphire/Calf leather Royal Sapphire; Wallets Continental, Serpenti Forever N.K., Stud Chevron black/Calf leather black/PVD Black, Lining 100% Nappa; Serpenti Forever Wallet on chain, Stud Chevron Pink Spinel/Calf leather Pink Spinel

From left: Serpenti Forever by Nicholas Kirkwood, Wallet on chain, Stud Chevron Royal Sapphire/Calf leather Royal Sapphire; Wallets Continental, Serpenti Forever N.K., Stud Chevron black/Calf leather black/PVD Black, Lining 100% Nappa; Serpenti Forever Wallet on chain, Stud Chevron Pink Spinel/Calf leather Pink Spinel

Serpenti Forever by Nicholas Kirkwood, Flap Cover, Stud Chevron Gold/Nappa Gold/

Serpenti Forever by Nicholas Kirkwood, Flap Cover, Stud Chevron Gold/Nappa Gold/

Kirkwood’s take for Bulgari’s latest designer handbags take (pardon the pun) the form of a richly textured chevron pattern, defined by a mix of flat, round and matte pyramidial varnished studs, adding a new twist to Bulgari ’s signature enameled snake head clasp. The extraordinary motifs bring a startling aesthetic to the designer handbags with gold-chain straps and backpacks in a range of square, rectangular and bucket configurations.

The gemstone inspired colour palette of black and white, pink spinel, royal sapphire and gold further under scores the eye-catching, three-dimensional allure of this collection. Interpreted with a slightly disruptive hand, each bag reflects the key design codes shared by both Bulgari
and Kirkwood – blending unexpected materials and colours to a high-powered end effect .

Bulgari x Nicholas Kirkwood Serpenti Forever Pricing and Availability

The limited edition Bulgari Serpenti Forever capsule collection by Nicholas Kirkwood will debut at Bulgari’s Marina Bay Sands Singapore boutique in September. The Bulgari Serpenti Forever retail price is expected to range S$1,470 to S$3,980.

 

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