By Jesse Scott
Under the bright spotlights of Paris Fashion Week, BVLGARI took over the Palais Galliera to launch the new Calla Collection at one of the most glamorous events of the season. Designed by Mary Katrantzou and inspired by the ancient Roman mosaics of the Terme di Caracalla, the sensual collection of bags combined BVLGARI’s impeccable craftsmanship and timeless aesthetic with a revolutionary contemporary sensibility. Katrantzou’s inaugural offering as Creative Director of Leather Goods and Accessories for the historic house, the Calla Collection was a true coup de grace signaling an exciting new era of innovation and creativity.
This era began before a star-studded guest list of fashion luminaries, as figures such as Natalia Vodianova, Kelly Rutherford, Anna Dello Russo, and Leonie Hanne attended the BVLGARI event. Vodianova looked particularly stunning in a diamante cut-out dress, while Adriana Lima also turned heads in a black velvet fishtail silhouette. Meanwhile, Leonie had one of the most delightfully dramatic looks of the night, strutting down the red carpet in a deceptively structured serpentine top that seemed to be suspended across her body like a scarf.
The collection was deeply rooted in both BVLGARI and Italian heritage; the 2,000 year-old Caracalla baths and their intricate mosaics were recently renovated and opened for public tours thanks to BVLGARI’s patronage. Therefore, Katrantzou’s geometric bags closely echo designs from the baths. Explaining the shape that anchors the collection, Katrantzou told the press, “The motif, a sensuously curving fan, has a compelling femininity and universality, connecting with other cultures, other meanings. The ‘Calla’ has infinite interpretations, but ‘all roads lead to’...BVLGARI.”
The Serpentine Duo, available in nappa leather or with dazzling hand-applied crystals that sublimate colors and forms from the mosaics, is unquestionably one of the most iconic pieces of the season. Notable for its detachable double Serpenti handles, it feels at once playful, aristocratic, and distinctly Italian. A seamless synthesis of past and future, possessed of BVLGARI's signature savoir-faire, it symbolizes a new chapter in the brand’s prestigious legacy.
