Extravagant parties and joie de vivre are the inspiration for German brand Etienne Aigner’s 2013 Spring/Summer Collection.
“The Spring/Summer 2013 collection is one of our most exciting yet and very appropriate for travel retail with its innovative design, fabulous styling and exciting colours – very now, very on-trend, very much what today’s modern traveller is looking for,” said Aigner CEO Sibylle Schön.
Aigner’s chief designer, Christian Beck, was inspired by the Royal Court of the French 18th Century – to the time of Marie Antoinette, the queen of France. “It is a fantasy world full of frippery, freshness and frivolity – a world in which baroque elements are interpreted in a modern way,” the company said.
The icon of the season is Daphne Guinness, whom Aigner described as “sophisticated, stylish and vivacious”.
Beck was also inspired by the vibrant graffiti and street art found in the fashion capitals of the world that helped to set the tone in this fantasy world. Modern ideas merge with floral patterns and ornamental feminine details.
The bag collection is characterised by the way the surfaces interact and the variety of smooth, embossed and coarse-grained leathers, which include soft nappa and iridescent leather. These leathers are designed to convey individuality and sophistication.
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Aigner’s 2013 Spring/Summer Collection focuses on vivid colours | |
Throughout the collection Aigner draws inspiration for metal detailing from the equestrian world, in line with its brand emblem, the horseshoe, which is a symbol of good luck.
“Edges are emphasised, yet at the same time accompanied by softer styles. Sometimes classic and clean, sometimes noble and sophisticated, sometimes even playful and frisky,” Aigner said. Bags with a short handle are a central theme and reveal a new image with their surfaces and colours.
The choice of names also reflects the French charm of the Marie Antoinette period. For example, Marie with its straight-line cut and decorative cockade in the highlight colour hibiscus.
The Daphne shopping bag is made of robust smooth leather with paintbrush effects in neon colours, while the Dauphine pouch bag, made of soft cowhide, features artistic embossing produced with the help of a rotogravure process.
The Honeycomb model, dubbed both cheerful and modern, is made of embossed buffalo hide that resembles a honeycomb due to the way it has been processed. It is available in neon pink, white, Cognac and black.
The Spring/Summer collection boasts a new design for Aigner’s classic Icon Cover bag, involving the art of tapestry in a vivid baroque look.
Summer 2013 will also witness an explosion of colour, according to Aigner. The colours of French petits fours and the tone of Champagne were the inspiration for the expressive range of colours used.
The palette embraces the colours of the rainbow with intense nuances. Powerful colours such as hibiscus, jade and iris set the tone, accompanied by the subtle shades of summer including almond, buttercup, caramel and Champagne.
Alongside the Flora floral pattern, additional highlights come in the form of neon colours.
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