From the iconic Rose Basket to Rapunzel’s Castle, discover the stories behind the wearable works of art that made Lulu’s name. And discover which have been re-imagined.
In 1993, four years after founding her eponymous handbag business, Lulu Guinness had a creative brainwave. “Roses were my favorite thing,” she says. “And I remember thinking one day, it’d be so great if you could carry a vase of roses around with you all the time.”
And so The Rose Basket was born - a bag like no other and a witty, whimsical creation that we now know as ‘quintessentially Lulu’. Vanity Fair described it as: “Deeply desirable, poetically rich. It was a covetable object, a symbol that could float through a party like something in a séance, sit on a table as if painted there by Magritte.” A Rose Basket fan? For SS24 it's been re-imagined with a Chartreuse satin pale and shocking pink flowers.
The House, along with Rapunzel’s Castle and The Birdcage are Collectible designs that were re-issued for Spring 2022, for a new generation of Lulu aficionados to enjoy and collect. “I love the unexpected”, explains Lulu. Which is why if you look closely at The Castle, you’ll see Rapunzel’s long blond braid hanging from a high tower window. The pale-blue Birdcage - a favorite of Lulu’s - you press a button underneath and it sings. “I loved the idea of creating a bag that made you do a double take - and the narrative behind a piece is very important to me.”
For AW22, we saw the return of the much-loved Fan Clutch, inspired by an archive piece from 1998 and updated with sustainably grown freshwater pearls. The nostalgic Shell Clutch was inspired by earlier styles and consistently sells out - brides adore the ivory and gold version. Other recent standout pieces include The Phonebox, a homage to London and its iconic red phone booths that punctuate the streets. With all of these special bags, it's about carrying a piece of design history with you. Or, as Lulu herself puts it: “Just something that makes you smile.”
Lulu’s Collectible bags have been described as 'tomorrow's treasures', with many museums, including London’s Victoria & Albert Museum, housing them as part of their permanent collections. They have also been the subject of two exhibitions in Sotheby’s London and New York. At the time of the New York exhibition in 2011, Sotheby’s Amy Todd Middleton spoke about Lulu’s designs to Vanity Fair: “It’s a combination of completely original design with an element of handcrafting you don’t find in a lot of bags. They’re so dainty and elegant and sophisticated, but charming and whimsical all at the same time. You just get caught in the Lulu spell.”
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