Isabel Canovas is a name that you might not have heard before, but if you’re a fashion enthusiast then you should stop and take note.
Throughout
her career, Canovas worked for some of the top fashion houses, specialising in
the design of luxury accessories. She began at Hermes, before later moving on
to Louis Vuitton, and then finally joining Christian Dior where she worked as
head designer for nearly ten years. Aged 37, Canovas left Dior to start her own
business with her husband, and together they opened the first Isabel Canovas
boutique in Paris, on Avenue Montaigne.
The Paris store showcased Canovas’ bold and artistic accessories, all of which were priced at the higher end of the luxury market – rivaling even Hérmes’ prices. However, this didn’t seem to put anyone off her brand, and Isabel Canovas’ designs not only sold well but they also began being featured in top fashion magazines. If this wasn’t enough proof of the brand’s success, in 1985 a new Isabel Canovas boutique was opened in New York, soon followed in 1988 by another in Madrid. Canovas’ creations were now available across two continents, and still proving popular with the ultra-rich. The brand then burnt brightly before their stores were eventually closed down in 1992.
I
think for anyone with conservative fashion tastes – or those looking for
value-for-money based on a ‘cost per wear’ breakdown – Isabel Canovas’ designs,
and prices, won’t necessarily make sense. Although it is possible to find more
moderate designs within her archive (the
bag in the photo below, for example), the truly special pieces do tend to fall
towards the wackier end of the fashion spectrum. However, don’t let this put
you off, even New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art own something by Isabel
Canovas shoes – and they opted for a pair of shoes that look like peeled
bananas.
I
personally only have experience handling Isabel Canovas’ handbags, so I can’t
comment on her jewellery or shoes, and I find her bags incredibly appealing for
two main reasons. Firstly, both the design and production quality of her pieces
are astounding; the shapes, materials and all of the finishing touches are incredibly
luxurious. When you pick up one of her bags, it’s immediately apparent that what
you’re holding is something special; they’re wonderfully made with beautiful,
and often unique, finishing touches. This leads me onto the second reason why I
like them so much, I just don’t think that anyone could fake Canovas’ designs.
The fashion world is rife with copy-cats – and
to some extent this is a good thing, as I think that it helps push forward
fashion design to great new heights – but Canovas’ creations are often so
weird and wonderful that you just couldn’t recreate them at budget prices.
In
2016, Zara released a red faux-leather bag covered in metallic bee
embellishment. Coincidentally, I happen to own an Isabel
Canovas bag with a similar shape and colour, which features similar metallic
embellishments.
Zara is well known for creating imitations of designer pieces, and although I’m
not certain that they were copying Canovas the similarities between these two
bags are undeniable. However, although these bags share similar qualities they
are actually nothing alike. There is no weight to the Zara bag, the
embellishments feel cheap and, although the design is fun, the artistry of
Canovas’ embellishments is lost entirely. One is very clearly a mass produced
item, and the other is something that has been painstakingly pieced together.
If there was ever a bag worth Canovas’ prices, then surely it would be
something like this one; unique, beautifully constructed, full of personality
and an instant conversation starter.
Stored
and Adored buy and sell Isabel Canovas’ vintage designer handbags, and the three bags featured in this blog post are all available to purchase from our online shop www.storedandadored.com.
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