I'm ecstatic about today's post because I've never been so intrigued by a handbag designer! Lee Mattocks has only been designing leather accessories for one year and has already made quite a name for himself in the UK. In fact, he was invited to exhibit his beloved piece, 'Dali for Gala,' at Lulu Guinness' 20th Anniversary Celebration, which took place at the prestigious Victoria and Albert Museum.
Having trained in fine art for six years, Mattocks is a surrealist artist first and foremost, drawing much of his inspiration from Salvidor Dali. Through his extensive research, he was struck by Dali's love and obsessive relationship with his wife, Gala. Mattocks wondered what Dali would have made for his wife if he were an expert accessories designer. Therefore, 'Dali for Gala' is a love poem, in bag form, from Dali to Gala. Mattocks jokes that the 'Dali for Gala' bag is a handbag in its truest form, because it literally features hand-carved brass hands, that actually transform into birds in the reflection of the mirror. I know right...how amazing is that? Personally, I'm obsessed with the clutch version. It features suede with linear stitch detailing and patent leather trim as well as a bright red lining. The pronounced feet and bunny, hand-carved by Mattocks himself, add the perfect touch of whimsy.
The Palace Bag is my favorite piece that he has designed thus far. The incorporation of taxidermy left me speechless. Luckily, this beautiful quote from Mattocks himself echoes my sentiments exactly. "Surrealism for the 21st century woman...more artistic techniques and meaningful symbolism in fashion products that challenge the industry, ignite personal associations and memories within the consumer through "dream-space" and reflect the bizarre beauty in our world."
I'd like to thank Lee Mattocks for all of the background information and images as well as Handbag Designer 101 for continuing to give new designers a platform. My firm belief that designers can do something completely fresh and original with handbags has been restored! For more information about Lee Mattocks, check out his London College of Fashion Masters Show!
15 comments:
This is the most meaningful blog post that I have written thus far, so please pass it along to your friends or share it with your readers if you're a fellow blogger. Thanks for the continued support!
I absolutely love the uniqueness of his designs. He is really talented and I cannot wait to see more of his talent in the future.
His unique designs steep in art and history remind me of McQueen. This man is definitely an artist.
I'll post a link to your article on my blog, Michael.
Thanks Dania! I get a McQueen vibe from him too! How ironic that they share the same name.
congrats!! i'll repost this on my blog tonight or tomorrow - i love that castle bag !
I love the bunnies and just in time for Easter!
RW
its obvious that his bags take the most meticulous hands the most thought-out processes to make. this is brilliant. my personal favourite would be the dali for gala piece. breathtaking. he really wants bags to be conversation-invoking, and i think he does it successfully well.:)
glad to discover your blog, hope you can come check out/follow mine if youd like:)
<3
eden
Fantastic post and pieces! So whimsical and fun!
xoxox,
CC
Awesome bags!I also love Salvidor Dali amazing artists, amazing handbags!
-Empress
http://truequeen.com
such great pieces!! what a fun post!!
I love the brass hands holding the straps--how brilliant is that? Very cool, I love to read about interesting new handbag designers!
Thanks for the support Katherine!
This is definitely your best post yet. Thanks for sharing his work with us!
Just written a blog on Lee, linked your blog on my page. Loved this post and am now an avid follower of your blog! Shell xxx
Thanks Glowing Doll and Michelle! I really appreciate the support!
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