Mary Katrantzou’s debut Calla collection for Bvlgari draws on the Greco-Roman roots shared by designer and the Italian maison.
Mary Katrantzou with her Bvlgari Serpenti bag. Photo: Courtesy of Bvlgari
By naming Mary Katrantzou as its first creative director of leather goods and accessories, Bvlgari has made a bold statement in the market. Choosing the Athens-born, London-based designer was no rash decision; Katrantzou has captivated the fashion world since her debut FW09 collection. She soon launched her eponymous brand. “My background in architecture has shaped my work as a fashion designer,” she says. “Balance, symmetry, and proportion are essential.”
Photo: Courtesy of Bvlgari
Katrantzou has asserted her distinctive style with a seamless blend of technology and craftsmanship. So, when her path crossed with Bvlgari, the collaboration was destined to impress. “Our story began when Bvlgari loaned us the most incredible heritage high jewelry pieces from the 60s,” Katrantzou recalls. This was in 2019, when she staged her couture show at the Temple of Poseidon in her native Greece. Two years later, she partnered with master perfumer Alberto Morillas to create Omnia, a fragrance inspired by her Greek garden. She also reimagined Bvlgari’s iconic emblem through the capsule bag collection Serpenti Through the Eyes of Mary Katrantzou. “Bvlgari and I share a common appreciation for bold colors, strong symbolism, and daring elegance,” she says.
Katrantzou’s journey with Bvlgari continues with the launch of her debut Calla collection. “One of the first things I wanted to create for Bvlgari was a pattern, an identity ,” she shares. I love that the collection’s name connects to both the thermal baths of Caracalla and the calla lily, a symbol of purity and rebirth.”
Photo: Courtesy of Bvlgari
Before crafting these pieces, Katrantzou immersed herself in Bvlgari’s legacy. Her connection to the brand, founded in Rome in 1884 by the Greek silversmith Sotirio Bulgari, feels almost natural, perhaps rooted in their shared heritage. The name Calla, which means “magnificent beauty ” in Greek, harkens back to a bygone era, reaching as far as the third century CE. “I was influenced by the intricate mosaics of the Terme di Caracalla, a fragment of ancient Rome that inspired Bvlgari’s now-iconic Divas’ Dream collection,” Katrantzou explains. In 2015 and 2016, Bvlgari restored the Terme di Caracalla mosaics, a lasting source of creative inspiration for the brand.
Photo: Courtesy of Bvlgari
“The Calla motif, a sensuously curving fan, embodies femininity and universality , connecting with different cultures and meanings,” says Katrantzou. “It has infinite interpretations.” Featured in the new collection, the Serpentine Duo handbag has a trapeze silhouette, double snakehead handle, and textured Calla pattern in matelassé. It comes in versatile leather or an evening option with multi colored crystals. The Marquise bag echoes the motif in nappa leather with tonal or contrasting hues, while the Ginkgo clutch, suspended from a leather bracelet, is adorned with pavé crystals. The Calla clutch blends openwork gold with fine nappa leather, and the Serpenti Sugarloaf shoulder bag draws inspiration from Bvlgari’s cabochon cut.
Photo: Courtesy of Bvlgari
Entirely handmade in the Bvlgari’s atelier in Florence, the bags pay homage to the Roman baths and includes signature Bvlgari hues like amethyst, emerald, gold, and pearl. In this new chapter, the fast pace of fashion yields to enduring designs – bags that are as precious and timeless as jewels.
Originally published in the November 2024 issue of Vogue Arabia
Read Next: Lucia Silvestri Tours Her Favorite Places in Rome, as Bvlgari Celebrates its 140-year Anniversary
