With the sun timidly breaking through the spring clouds, we longed for the drive for fresh creativity and the energy to welcome the warm season’s fashion news. At the beginning of April, the doors of the kARTu studio in Kaunas were once again opened by Karolina Meschino, who shines brightly on Lithuanian social networks, and we entered into a fresh spring whirlwind! With style inspirations, everyday rituals and creative behind the scenes. We introduced Karolina to the handbag production process: after a couple of hours passed easily, the kARTu collection was filled with her personalized handbag.
The first step towards a unique handbag is to choose the desired model. “It’s always fun to watch when people see our range for the first time,” says Ingrida Jasinske, creative director of kARTu fashion house. “We know all the seams, buttons and pockets by heart, so it’s like we don’t notice them anymore!” Curious glances in the mirror and careful examination of handbags are the most pleasant part of a live meeting with customers.” Karolina liked three kARTu spices the most – convenient everyday Savory, graceful and robust Cinnamon, and minimalistic Sweet Flag.
Once the shape is chosen, it’s time for patterns, colours, and textures of natural leather. From acid lime green to romantic lacquer red, from cold graphite tones to fun geometric patterns, the studio’s holy book is a catalogue of leather samples. Karolina was surprised by the possibilities of combining materials and she boldly experimented to find a suitable palette for herself.
Sunglasses and handbags are K. Meschino favourite accessories. Although there is no shortage of coloured and variegated details in her wardrobe, the woman does not hide that she is currently in the process of personal style changes: she is comfortable with black, earthy, creamy shades.
This calm colour will cover the new handbags as well: Sweet Flag will be reborn in a combination of glossy and matte black leather with a reptile pattern and strong, glossy black lacquered. The strap of the small handbag will be double-sided: on one side shiny reptile-print leather on the other, matte. This combination of one colour but different surfaces will elegantly complement both everyday outfits and exclusive looks.
Sharing impressions about favourite works and projects that are dear to the heart, love also entered the plan for the future handbag. The dark and solid Sweet Flag will be customized with a heart symbol cut out on the front of the bag, a symbol often seen in the pattern palette of the Karolina Meschino brand. Such a request is the first in the kARTu workshop, so the production team promised to work wholeheartedly to fulfil it. Karolina is not afraid of contrasts and expressively combines them with each other: in her
wardrobe we can find both: men’s clothes and a classic Chanel handbag A great understanding of her own needs led to an extreme transformation of the Cinnamon handbag during the creation process: the zipper was replaced by a magnet, and after precise measurements, it shrunk by almost half and can now only hold a mobile phone, lipstick, and a cosmetic brush. The new Cinnamon will be dressed in a fresh mint shade. Ah, the lightness of spring!
Different experiences, feelings, and tastes of original people help us see the well-known kARTu accessory models and colour palette pages in a new light. The stylists Vilte Kindereviciute and Simona Senkauskaite, the artist Katrina Knizikeviciute, the etiquette expert Indre Sapagovaite-Briedeliene, and the architects Justina and Rimantas Giedraiciai have already played handbag transformation games with us. Who will be next?