TOThe Met Gala 2024 in New York celebrated the world of fashion inspired by a book. This year’s theme was indeed The Garden of Time from the 1962 story of the same name dby the British writer JG Ballard.
Fashion and literature have always been an inseparable pair. Two examples.
In War and peace, Set in Russia in 1805, Leo Tolstoy offers a great insight into the Russian nobility of the Napoleonic period.
The film Breakfast at Tiffany’s, released in 1961 with the same title as the novel and directed by Blake Edwards, Audrey Hepburn alongside George Peppard, has become an icon of style with the famous little black dress by Givenchy.
We read more and more in Italy
Meanwhile, good news is arriving on the readings and books front.
According to the survey by Pepe Research for the Italian Publishers Association, the number of Italians who read is growing: in 2023, 74 percent of people between the ages of 15 and 74 have read at least one printed book. In 2022 the reading rate was 71 percent; in 2019, by 68 percent.
An encouraging figure ahead of the Turin Book Fair starting from Thursday 9 May to Monday 13 May.
Who will see, among the guests, James Ellroy, Eshkol Nevo, Israeli writer much loved in Italy, Alicia Giménez Bartlett, and then Elizabeth Strout who will hold the inaugural lecture entitled “The very slow start of my very fast career” on writing.
Books to read with book bags
Book bags: the Cotì bag personalized with scraps of recovered fabric
Books to read become inspiration for bags now. Or, vice versa, novel-proof bags are created.
Covers of famous stories end up on the clutch bags, from Pride and Prejudice to Harry Potter: the bags only contain space for books, keys and cell phone (what else, apart from lipstick?).
While there are those who make book bags a symbol of recycling, unique pieces, handmade, to carry your favorite book with you.
Book bags: Edgar Allan Poe’s Save Your bag
Again: book bags adapt to the form of the novel.
In short, to each their own book… and their own book-bag.
Perfect for giving a chic attitude to the Turin Book Fair, just to start with.
Cotì Bag is a collection of bags designed to always carry your favorite book with you.
Each bag is a unique piece, handmade according to a natural rhythm.
The fabrics – coming from remnants of prestigious collections – harmonize with every detail of the bag.
«Each bag is designed in harmony with the rhythm of nature. I approach the materials which, as in a dance, look at each other, smell each other, begin to dance and, if the harmony is perfect, will merge into a new creation. In an imaginal vision, the Cotì Bag has an exterior, the visible / the light / the masculine, and an interior, the hidden / the shadow / the feminine. The interior often reveals unexpected details, out of the ordinary, far from banality” reveals the designer Cristina Toscanini.
Each creation can be personalized with your own figures. «They are not industrial pieces, my Cotì Bags are created outside of a production chain, but with an absolutely artisanal process, respecting the natural rhythm of creativity and tailoring. By changing the details, each bag follows its own process, thus extending production times. I want every component to be in perfect harmony with the fabric and every component must come into perfect harmony. Each new creation takes the name of the writer to whom it is dedicated » she concludes.
Another aspect of the production lies in the fact that it is a collection made with the fabrics that Toscanini finds during his travels.
«The world is constantly changing, globalization is flattening many traditions, so I like to look for fabrics that preserve the scent, the colors, the stories of my journey while restoring the soul of the place».
The envelope with the famous covers
There is a story of passion, family and creativity that unfolds through the pages of the success of Save Your Book, a Made in Italy accessories brand linked to the world of books and reading.
Founded in 2022 in Rome, by two sisters, Camilla and Carolina, and inspired by the intuition of their mother Paola, Save Your Book has transformed the daily need to always carry your book with you without ruining it, combining functionality and style.
«Our mother hated seeing us come home with ruined books – say Camilla and Carolina – and this is the reason why we decided to create the first Cover Book model, which then transformed over time».
Cotton Book Covers allow readers to protect their favorite books wherever they go, whether it’s on a train journey, on a plane or simply in their bag.
In addition to protection, these covers offer the possibility of always having a representation of your favorite book with you, thanks to the unique illustrations inspired by literary masterpieces.
Every detail is the result of research: from the personalized and unique creation of the illustrations, to the search for eco-sustainable materials and ecological inks. «Although we cannot define ourselves as completely sustainable, it is still very important for us to maintain controlled and environmentally friendly production».
Three cover models are available to adapt to different book size and format needs:
– the Cover Book Standard, which can contain soft cover books of up to 900 pages;
– the Cover Book Mini, for books in paperback and Kindle format;
– the Cover Book Big, which can contain large books of over 1000 pages with hard covers, tablets and notebooks in A4 format.
The clutch bag with the cover of a novel
This book-shaped bag is inspired by the great classic Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. The chain is designed to also be able to carry the bag on the shoulder.
“Book clutches” mix the passion for books with that of bags. In this case they are clutch bags specifically designed to resemble closed books.
The idea of book clutches can be found in the work of designer Olympia Le Tan.
Among his aficionados are Olympia of Greece, Sigourney Weaver, Cardi B and Emily Ratajkowski.
The text-shaped crossbody inspired by 1984
Well Read Company, founded in 2019, produces handbags, tote bags and wallets inspired by classical literature. The first prototypes were loosely inspired by traditional bookbinding techniques and made at home with a home sewing machine.
The best-selling collections feature timeless titles such as Pride and Prejudice, Sherlock Holmes And Alice in Wonderland.
The products are made with vegan leather and packaged with recyclable materials where possible, as the company is trying to reduce its carbon footprint, he explains.
«We believe that wearing unique and fun accessories should not be at the expense of the planet».
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