While most are enjoying a seasonal slow-down, Mary Katrantzou is busier than ever. The Greek designer has unveiled her first accessories collection for Bulgari; she was appointed creative director of leather goods and accessories in April 2024 and takes on the role alongside her position as founder and designer of her eponymous label.
Drawing from the history of Rome, the jewellery-making legacy of Bulgari and her own adoration of extroverted patterns, Mary Katrantzou's debut collection introduces the Calla print. Inspired by the Terme di Caracalla, the 3rd-Century Roman baths once regarded as the most magnificent in the city, the collection mimics the geometry of the mosaic tiles found throughout the sprawling site and the sculptural calla lily. The bath's fan-shaped tiles have served as inspiration for the Maison before; the Diva's Dream collection champions the meaningful motif.
The collection drenches brand-new silhouettes in complex matelassé and pavé crystal treatments, as well as sumptuous leather. The trapeze-shaped Serpentine Duo handbag is an homage to the faceted cut of precious gems and is available in a crystal-adored version and a daytime-appropriate leather iteration, while the Serpenti Sugarloaf shoulder bag is wrapped in plump, padded-volume nappa leather and named after the House's signature cabochon-cut gems.
Elsewhere in the collection are the sleek Ginkgo clutch, which boasts a leather bracelet and detachable chain, and reinterpretations of the iconic Serpenti Forever silhouettes. "One of the first things I wanted to create for Bvlgari was a pattern, an identity, the ‘Calla’. I was inspired by the intricate mosaics of the Terme di Caracalla, a fragment of Ancient Rome that formed the inspiration for the now iconic Bvlgari Divas’ Dream collection," explained Mary Katrantzou in a statement. "The motif, a sensuously curving fan, has a compelling femininity and universality, connecting with other cultures, other meanings. It links with the gingko leaf and with the calla lily." Discover the collection
