Italian Fashion Accessories: Fantasy and Durability

Italian Fashion Accessories: Fantasy and Durability


Italian Accessories: Valentino 2009
Italy is known for its big Fashion Houses, for the brands that are conquering the world, one country at a time. Designer shoes and handbags made in Italy are all the rage, they can be seen on any and all kinds of celebrities. And this trend is not new.
The Italian accessories brand Gucci first became famous for its Constance bags, with a hobo shape, double strap, and a big H clasp, which was carried by Jacqueline Onnassis in the 60’s. Gucci renamed the bag the Jackie-O or more recently, the Gucci Bouvier bag, which is still a hot-sell item at upmarket fashion stores.
Other Italian designer handbag brands like Bottega Veneta and Fendi are also spoken of in hushed tones by fashionistas from Tokyo to New York.
When it comes to shoes, Salvatore Ferragamo has it covered. From Dame Judy Dench to Madonna, all women in entertainment and high society, would give a lot to see their feet clad in a Ferragamo creation. Other brands are not far behind, practically all the Italian Fashion Houses that create clothing collections also produce shoe lines each season.
Leather craftsmanship has always been an Italian strength, some of the factories in the Le Marche region of Italy bear testimony to that. In this region, artisans custom-handcraft shoes for the customer, and often create shoes for the renowned Italian shoe brands.
Any discussion of Italian accessories is incomplete without the mention of Italian jewelry. Names like Bvlgari and Damiani come to mind, but they are by no means the only Italian jewelry brands of renown. The Murano beads and glass jewelry from Venice may not be in the same price league as Damiani pearls, for instance, but they lack nothing in beauty and casual, colorful chic.

Italian Accessories: Prada 2009
Scarves by brands like Fendi, Prada, and Cavalli have become fashion collectibles. They add that particular accent to an outfit that lifts it from the realms of the ordinary to the truly special.
The appeal of fashion accessories lies in the fact that one does not have to have the perfect face or body to carry them off, and Italian fashion accessories have the added advantage of being meticulously crafted for the beauty of form and function. Moreover, if you take care of the them, good quality Italian fashion accessories would probably last much longer than the rest of your wardrobe.

Italian Accessories: Sharon Stone in Damiani
A Valentino or Cavalli handbag or a pair of Damiani ear rings would look as good on a large figure as it would on a trim silhoutte. Splurging on a pair of Versace shoes can be downright therapeutic, a pair of intriguing gloves from Prada can work wonders for any ensemble, and a colorful scarf from Missoni can keep you warm as well as provide the right dash of life to your get-up.
In this section, Life in Italy is going to bring you a flavour of Italian Fashion Accessories, their history, and what they can do for your wardrobe.