Bulgari have been in the fine jewellery space for more than a century, a House founded in Rome in 1884 by the talented Greek silversmith Sotirio Bulgari. So it feels particularly fitting that yesterday the fine jewellery House would appoint Mary Katrantzou as their first-ever creative director of leather goods and accessories, a fashion designer whose Greek heritage and influences run strong in her work.
"The rich cultural heritage and dual Greco-Roman roots of Bulgari have played an integral part of my formation as a designer," Katrantzou said of her appointment. "I've always been inspired by the design codes and syncretism of Bulgari, its mastery of colours and the depth of narrative."
Katrantzou's debut collection with Bulgari as the House's creative director of leather goods and accessories will be available globally in Bulgari boutiques later this year, in August 2024.
The appointment is not the first time the London-based designer and the fine jewellery House have worked together though, Katrantzou first collaborating with Bulgari back in 2019 as part of her Spring Summer 2020 couture show.
Staged at the 500BC Temple of Poseidon in Sounion, Greece, the show raised funds for the Elpida Association, and showcased Bulgari Heritage High Jewellery pieces in a celebration of both culture and craft.
Katrantzou was also invited to join the Serpenti through the eyes of series in 2021, reimagining Bulgari's iconic Serpenti Forever bag collection using archival references to add nuanced and original new layers of narrative and symbolism to the signature accessory.
A Central Saint Martins graduate, Katrantzou has become a pioneering name in fashion, establishing her eponymous womenswear label in 2008. Her work has been pioneering, consequently being acquired for the permanent collections of leading institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the Albert Museum in London.
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