The Art Accessory Eco-lux Bags at Elvis & Kresse Arts
Though Simon Periton's West Hampstead studio is heaving with spray-paint cans and stacks of paper, what first hits visitors is the twisted Victoriana-style creations.The delicate paper doilies depicting figures of pop and politics for which he is famed have mutated: spectral shapes andstaring evil eyes emerge from his recent stencilled paintings on glass. They wouldn't look out of place in some fin-de-siècle salon for spiritualists and tarot-readers, if only Periton himself weren't so sunny. He is enthusing about his latest project :a limited-edition bag, one of a series of artist-designed luxury fashion items made with the ecologically minded Elvis & Kresse Arts (E&KA).
FLY GUY Artist Simon Periton with a prototype of the 'bug bag' he has designed for Elvis & Kresse Arts
Shaped like a fly, the 'body' is a crescent of rich, dark brown leather, encircled by an ornate golden FLY GUY Artist Simon Periton with a prototype of the 'bug bag' he has designed for Elvis & Kresse Arts wing; the lining is mustard-yellow satin. 'There was something quite perverse about a metamorphic insect-bag that could be invading its wearer,' Periton says cheerfully. Belying its sumptuous appearance, the 'bug bag' is created entirely from recycled materials; half of the profits go to associated charities.
The leather is highest-quality saddle offcuts, and the laser-cut gold wing is super-durable decommissioned fire-hose. The rest of the collection includes a bowling bag and clutch by Lothar Gotz, wallets by Olivier Millagou, and a weekend bag by Paul Morrison. Periton's cute creation manages to buzz with otherworldly glamour while being good for the planet; as he puts it, it's 'not just a bag with two handles'.