When creatives join forces, what comes of it? A project where different visions blend, and everyone’s experiences dialogue for a truly peculiar result. This is the story told by Extra Milano, the event by Valextra that involved six extraordinary brands from Milan, as announced by Sara Ferraro, the CEO of the luxury leather brand.
Extra Milano saw a mixed group of top brands – including SUNNEI, PLAN C by Carolina Castiglioni, Arthur Arbesser, La Double J by JJ Martin, Massimo Alba and Valextra – called to contribute to the DNA of the label established by craftsman Giovanni Fontana with their own, unique language, focusing on the importance of dialogue and on the launch of innovative solutions for the fashion system.
What brands in this creative think tank have in common is their designers’ ties to Milan, the birthplace to some, the adopted city to others. They all perfectly embody the city’s style and culture, that unmistakable, sober elegance in dressing for which they stand out in Milan’s fashion circles.
Just think of LaDouble J by JJ Martin, the American journalist’s brand that has charmed Milanese women with patterns and vintage, or of PLAN by Carolina Castiglioni (daughter to Consuelo, the founder of Marni), who launched a label where menswear overlaps and mixes with womenswear.
Extra Milano resulted in 6 mini bag collections for 2020, creations that sum up all Valextra’s values and pay tribute to the brand’s DNA, where beauty, fine crafting, functionality and innovation are embedded.
The perfect combination of simplicity, minimal silhouettes, and heritage, the Extra Milano bags draw inspiration from the elegant architecture of the city’s buildings, the sophisticated halls, and the precious, multicolor prints of Como’s silks.
The collections will be available for purchase in limited edition in selected Valextra boutiques.
The first line unveiled at the Milan Fashion Week Fall 2020 was Sunnei’s collection. Loris Messina and Simone Rizzo, the brand’s founder, collaborated with the bag brand par excellence to a luxury line bursting with color. All pieces are unisex, have boxy shapes, and are designed to be put one inside the other, just like the famous Russian dolls. The Milanese designers started from Valextra’s Passepartout tote, and revamped it with a rainbow of color in a variety of sizes, from the largest style, perfect for the weekend, to the small purse.
The Sunnei x VALEXTRA collection will land in the VALEXTRA boutique in June, and only 10 pieces will apparently be available for each bag.
See the collection preview