Art, the viewing and buying of it have, for centuries, been firmly established and quiet rigid concepts. To buy an original work of art has invariably required going to a gallery to view a selection hung in a minimalist and rather austere environment where here are no distractions beyond art and the watchful eye of the gallerist only too keen to help you order and to sell to you.
Which is why the partnership with artist, Margit Platny is such an ingenious and personal one for me. Located just outside the historical Italian centre Siena in Tuscany is her private Villa. Just think everything organic, vegan inspired way of life, before vegan became a trend. Imagine an idealistic location with amazing views of Tuscany. This Austrian born Goddess, Margit Platny, lives, eats and sleeps the dolce vita lifestyle for many years here in Italy.
This Austrian Goddess herself is as perfect as her art and handbags. As I look at her, the instant resemblance of Roxanne Ritchi one of the main characters in Megamind comes to mind.
She is stunning to look at as her paintings themselves. In spending some precious downtime with Margit in her picture-perfect Tuscan garden another passion of hers.
She shared with me the reason behind her work of art;
My artworks are inspired by my emotional affinity towards nature and animals. When I design bags, my aim is to create a design, that transmits my passion and awareness for the beauty that is surrounding us.
LE MANIGLIE DELL’AMORE is an accessory for a modern woman, who loves nature and art, and like her favorite artwork, she might want to collect or wear it for years.
The Italian translation is being in love with your love handles. My love handles have grown here in Italy and Margit’s bags are a great way to hide them.
Vegan Avant Garde Bags.
In 2019, vegan is the new lifestyle marketing trend, but for Margit it has been her lifestyle for many years. Hence tucked away creating her niche art and vegan bags she is more so passionate to get her message out there regarding Eco-fashion. So much so, she showed me endless bags of leather clothing that no longer will be part of her wardrobe. Margit is a big fan of vintage clothing and recycling nothing is bought new.
Her work is about people buying for the very love of who she is and what she stands for.
For her creations, Margit has decided to use cork leather, a natural, eco-friendly and innovative material that grows in the beautiful island of Sardinia. The excellent quality of this embossed cork adds texture, while conveying the positive energy of a natural and animal-friendly material.
Every design of „Le Maniglie dell’Amore“ conveys the artistic features of Margit’s paintings Le Maniglie Dell” Amore. with a contemporary and unique style. The aim of the designer is to offer women the option of buying a distinctive aesthetic item without compromising on ethical responsibility and environmental sustainability.
Cannella Saddle Bag
When I first saw Margit’s bags I knew I had found a needle in a haystack when it came to niche, unique handbags. This year I am trending everything cowgirl chic. What a perfect synergy when I layed my eyes on this texture of embossed cork leather. The aged bronze-tone metal rivets add a luxurious touch to the bag and reminded me of a horse saddle. I am a big fan of earthy colours.
All her bags are inspired by her art so in this case, Cannella is inspired by the eponymous painting, ink and oil on canvas, 100x100cm. Cannella is an artistic reinterpretation of the saddle bag featuring unexpected contemporary design detailing.
For me in my work where my bag has to be functional, look edgy and not heavy as all my essentials are always heavy.
So the removable top handle and crossbody strap allow me to carry Cannella any which way, for a cool and elegant appeal. In my case, hotel reviews, car driving and travelling throughout Italy let alone London.
The interior is spacious and sturdy and the bag is fully lined with faux suede, which feels amazing and of high quality in fact the whole bag does.
Le Chic Belt Bag
When I saw this bag my mind went back to the 1980s in where practicality ruled over the design. They were ingenious in design but ugly as hell and I always had mine tucked under my jumper. In this case, the design is just super elegant. This playful style is complemented with an embossed cork leather strap in python effect for an eye-catching look. I am loving the detachable strap which allows the variety in how the bag is worn, either as waist or mini shoulder bag. Perfect for those fashion weeks or car launches coming up for me. In regards to the art design, the beautiful bold colours printed on velvet feels and looks very classy. The interior bag is fully lined with fine art printed microfiber, feels lovely every time I get my business cards out.
Tassels Vibe
Margit’s bags always have different coloured long tassels to add a vibrant touch to each of the bags. But more than that they give my whole outfit such a cool, urban chick overall look to it. I love tassels flowing and touching my skin it reminds me of the very heart and soul that has gone into each of the bags made. That is why these bags are nothing to do with fashion, they are an everyday accessory to my existing global, lifestyle.
The design of Castellina is based on the painting „Mysterious Distance“, oil on canvas, 95x95cm.
Vegan The Message
Don’t be afraid of this word unfortunately for marketing purposes it is really a food trend for many restaurants to lure you in to make money. Margit is not about that at all. Veganism is a stricter form of vegetarianism; like vegetarians, vegans don’t eat any animals that have been killed. it is also about avoiding animal products altogether, so that means no eggs or dairy products and, usually, no honey either. Margit is all about the love and nurture of animals. In her Tuscan Villa I met her, with her four dogs who were rescued from abandonment.
Margit did confess she loves Pecorino which is a family of hard Italian cheeses made from sheep’s milk. The word derives from Italian pecora meaning “sheep”.
We sipped Prosecco, ate Pecorino and delved into fried zucchini and homemade crisps all from Margit’s garden. She is the real deal when it comes to the lifestyle we all desire to live well and have an eco-friendly lifestyle. She is practising what she is preaching.
I love everything handmade in Italy and Europe.
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