April 2, 2024 |
Athens-based designer Mary Katrantzou has just made history, assuming the role of Bulgari’s creative director of leather goods and accessories. Sharing her Greek heritage with the house’s founder, Katrantzou’s appointment marks the first-ever person to assume the role in the house’s 140 year history.
Debuting her first collection for her eponymous brand at London Fashion Week in 2008, Katrantzou gained recognition for her work in digital placement printing. Stocked by major retailers throughout her career, including Selfridges and Barneys, Katrantzou’s collections over the years have stood out for their experimental silhouettes and lavish embellishments, most notably the brand’s SS20 collection which was backdropped by the Temple of Poseidon in Athens – styled by 10’s Global Editor-in-Chief, Sophia Neophitou.
Katrantzou’s role at Bulgari is set to span across day-to-day leather and silk pieces to more high-end and one-of-a-kind accessories. Speaking on her design process, Katrantzou questioned, “When does something change from being considered adornment to being functional and what can we do in that in-between space? That’s where the mind-blowing Bulgari archive comes in. Studying the originals and seeing how they can be transformed and seeing this category as a creative lab to do it – that to me is incredible.”
After starting her relationship with Bulgari in 2019, where the house’s jewels were used in the designer’s Athens show, Katrantzou then went on to design a capsule collection for the house in 2021, inspired by its classic serpent motif. Katrantzou is set to manage the position partly from Athens, but also from Florence and Rome, where the Bulgari head office is located. She will also continue to helm her own label, based in London. Her first Bulgari creations will be released in August.
Photography courtesy of Bulgari.
