In March 2011, Ela Kowalewska and her husband Martin Aldorsson were strolling through the piazza in Bologna, Italy when they came across a beautiful door with studs adorning its surface.
Wouldnt it be neat, Kowalewska said, stopping to take a photo of the door, if they could find a way to recreate that stud effect on the one of the leather purses that shes created for their Ela line of handbags?
A year and a half later, Aldorsson was sitting in Vancouvers Holt Renfrew to talk about the new line of Ela purses and accessories including a tan-coloured studded MILCK (money, identification, lipstick, cellphone, keys) clutch bag thats exclusive to Holt Renfrew.
We always say the eye must travel because inspiration can hit you anywhere. It can come from a door, Aldorsson told WE Vancouver.
Kowalewska worked with Hermes in Canada and Burberry in London. Her husband has a background in marketing and advertising. Together, they eat, sleep and talk about their two-year-old business, which is now their sole occupation.
In coming up with the designs for the bags, Kowalewska thinks of other women like her: A normal woman with a normal job and normal interests but who likes something with a twist. She doesnt, Aldorsson says, want to look exactly the same as everyone else. She wants a little bit of an edge to what is the normal within her world.
Kowalewska deeply admires Hermes for its craftsmanship and sophisticated sense of design. She pays homage to them in her own creations, which she calls humble luxury. She seeks out quality leather supplies hence the twice annual trek to Bologna , pays attention to small details (such as the playful imprint of an open and closed lock at each end of their new line of Editors Pouch bags that conveniently fit an iPad.)
Shes also made her own design imprints. While the bags come in a range of colours, from lipstick red to graphite to mirrored silver the interior lining is always in her signature purple hue. The fastener is also an Ela-only design. Its a bit like a leather belt that folds back on itself before threading through a metal loop.
The stud design is available in all stores that carry Ela handbags, however, only Holt Renfrew will have it in tan. The bags range in price from $198 for the Editors Pouch, $298 for the MILCK Clutch, $440 for the Chibi (which means little in Japanese), and $758 for the weekend bag.
ElaHandbags.com | HoltRenfrew.com
