Sylvia Adams: The New Avante Garde of Handbags

Interview by Kate Sullivan for www.fashionledge.com
Edited by Kenyatta D. Pious

Kate: What is the inspiration for the bags?

Sylvia: I was inspired by the fabrics (on the runway) this season. I wanted to interpret light and shine in a new way. We have been bombarded with a lot of crystals and satins (lots and lots of high shine) and I wanted to re-interpret that this season using crushed velvets, eel skin and in taffeta moire. These fabrics and skins all have a reflective quality to them, but they are much more refined and that brings something more personal and intimate to the bags. They beg to be touched and the shapes and the colors highlight that.

I'm really excited to see the return of classic fabrics in clothing coming into play for evening in very modern ways. Just look at Rochas, Zac Posen, Marc Jacobs or Giles Deacon. For example my "Edwina" hobo is made of silk, cotton, and a viscose blend that's been hand painted using a wet on wet technique with silk dye. To just use the moire as is, would come across like I took a set of my mother's drapes and turned them into a bag. But adding the ombre stripes of amethyst and indigo give a bit of dimension to them that just simply wouldn't be there otherwise.

Velvet is everywhere this season but I was surprised that no one really attempted to use something as simple as crushed velvet. It’s very rich and luminesse. Any of the velvet pieces would be a perfect solution for someone who is looking for something to give their wardrobe a little boost without going to the usual standbys like satin and sequins.

The same goes for the eel skin. I love crocodile and lizard and python, but as a designer I feel it's really important to try to keep things fresh and new for your clients. They are not designers and that's why they come to us in the first place: for something new. So instead of the usual crocodile and alligator, I made of point of looking for new exotic skins out
there. There are so many to choose from: ostrich, turtle (yes turtle) and even bullfrog! But I chose eel skin for two reasons: one is I really love the subtle texture of the skin and two, the sort of distressed quality of it. Eel is actually quite durable and pliable,
when handled properly & this allows you to manipulate it in many different ways.

Kate: Is there a theme surrounding the collection?

Sylvia: I don't really work with a theme per se as so much as with a group of
"elements" or "ideas" that I hope evoke a certain mood. My work tends to gravitate towards something with a bit of a modern edge to them, but without all of the severity one associates with that.

I think most people assume that all modern designers are like crazed "purists" who live in a world of black and white and occasion a bit of color and we'll just die if we change the slightest thing.

But I think there's a new generation of designers (in many areas of design) who enjoy the craft that goes into creating the products that they produce. That is how we as designers find our own unique "voice" or "point of view" and you can't do that if you are constantly
looking to the past. We are all looking to create something much more personal, individual and intimate. You can't achieved that kind of intimacy if everything remains exactly the same; all for the sake of preserving ones "image", which to me is totally unfair to the customer.

So I try to create new shapes that are as functional as they are fashionable and pay close attention to the details. The inside is just as important to me as the outside. One season I lined the bags in silk duchesse satin. I don't like to use any secondary skins on the collars or handles just to save money. This season, however, the real news were in the fabrications so I scaled back on the construction to really showcase the fabrics, but for spring I am working on many different shapes. I have designed my collection to have three points of view.

First there are the bags that I have designed primarily to be worn / used during the day and their size dictates this.

Second are bags that can be worn from day into evening, depending mostly on their fabrication (are they silk velvet or are they denim or corduroy) and also the clients own personality. Some women would be mortified to take a gold crushed velvet bag to work (say if you worked on Wall Street) whereas for other women it's just one of many (say if you are in a more creative field such as marketing or
television).

And the third group consists of bags that are primarily for evening, again taking size into consideration. However, I always take into consideration with each of these designs their purpose so some of these bags are quite simple. The Annie clutch is an example. Those style are really meant to showcase a beautiful fabric or skin. In some cases, the bags are updated
versions of styles that are already familiar to us. The Gwendolyn swing pouch is a very good example. It's my take on the wristlet except it can be tied into several decorative knots and slung (like a small medicine bag) on the wrist or you can untie the knots and sling it across the body.

As for the Edwina hobo this bag is more about "fashion" than anything else. I was looking for an alternative to the clutch or the baguette when I came up with this design. I am one of those people who love clutches but I am completely paranoid about losing them (you know leaving them on a table or at the bar).

Thus the Edwina was born. It's quite deceptive because it's only four pieces that make up the bag and it takes a whopping 9 square feet to do it. Comprised of exotic skins, these bags have to be hand cut because of the unusual shape of the pattern pieces.

Kate: What are you planning for spring 2006?

For spring I am really focusing on developing new prints and using more traditional techniques such as trapunto in my work. Plus I am still very interested in using fabrics that have a more inherent tactile quality to them like grass cloth, corduroy and fabrics with more interesting weaves to them like herringbone and sailcloth, but in
really beautiful soft colors. It's all about taking the "edge" off a bit and making the bags more "approachable" - - lots of maize, ivory, silvery sage and toffee.

I am also working on some new shapes: barrel bags and bags with more versatility built into them without all the gimmicks.

For more information on Sylvia Adams: www.sylvia-adams.com

To contact Kate Sullivan of Kick PR:
419 Lafayette 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10003
Phone~646-723-3322
Fax~347.402.1138
www.kickpr.com