Salvatore Ferragamo and Adele Dejak: BAGS FOR AFRICA

This is a post we’ve been meaning to share with you for a while now but we wanted to save it for the launch of our new-look blog and fittingly, it’s the first post of 2013!

BAGS FOR AFRICA is a charity initiative formed by the national chamber of Italian fashion, Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana, and promoted by COOPI, an Italian NGO. BAGS FOR AFRICA supports development projects that champion women’s rights and the empowerment of local communities in Africa.

In support of the third edition of the BAGS FOR AFRICA auction, we had the great honour of collaborating with the prestigious Salvatore Ferragamo brand (and its creative director Massimiliano Giornetti), to create a special limited edition of the iconic Sofia bag. Only 6 pieces were made and proceeds from sales are going to help fund a project entitled “D as in development: the future of Africa is Woman”, designed to promote property and education rights for women in Sierra Leone.

Making-of-Salvatore-Ferragamo-Adele-Dejak-Bags-for-Africa-Collaboration
An initial sketch and cutting the beadwork patterns
Salvatore Ferragamo and Adele Dejak: Bags For Africa collaboration
Cutting the patterns for the beadwork
Salvatore Ferragamo and Adele Dejak: Bags For Africa collaboration
Testing the Beadwork
Salvatore Ferragamo and Adele Dejak: Bags For Africa collaboration
Final beading

Extra off-cuts of the leather were sent from Italy. Our beaders were awestruck when the DHL package arrived – they had never seen such beautiful and extremely soft leather! They were initially apprehensive about touching it and they practiced for a week on the off-cuts to get used to working on such soft material.

The final designs:

Salvatore Ferragamo and Adele Dejak: Bags For Africa collaborationSalvatore Ferragamo and Adele Dejak: Bags For Africa collaborationSalvatore Ferragamo and Adele Dejak: Bags For Africa collaborationSalvatore Ferragamo and Adele Dejak: Bags For Africa collaborationSalvatore Ferragamo and Adele Dejak: Bags For Africa collaborationSalvatore Ferragamo and Adele Dejak: Bags For Africa collaboration

This has to be one of our most exciting collaborations yet! Most importantly, we must thank Vogue Italia editor, Franca Sozzani, for the introduction that made all of this possible.

Check out some of the other BAGS FOR AFRICA on the Vogue Italia or COOPI site.

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