WICKER: What is it and why to choose it for your bags | Blog
# Press ENTER to search or ESC to close

Cart

Total: € 980.00

WICKER: What is it and why to choose it for your bags

WICKER: What is it and why to choose it for your bags

Wicker has always been considered as one of the poorest materials in the world of fashion, but as always, nothing is forgotten and that’s why starting from summer 2019 these will be the most fashionable "ingredients" to be introduced in one's outfits, to create elegant combinations and refined with a distinct vintage taste.

The golden age of these materials considered "poor" were the 1950s and 1960s when women loved wearing accessories made of straw, rope and bamboo; how to forget the famous Bamboo bag by Gucci, which still preserves the handle in this material, or that signed Capricharme; a distinctive trait that makes it a true style icon, giving it an allure of exotic elegance and refinement.

But it is not only in the name of fashion that wicker bags were considered timeless and so loved by women. Resistant to time, to dirt, but also light items, elastic and capacious, they can be used at any time and at any time of the day. Whether it is evening or day, a formal or informal event, your wicker bag will always be an excellent choice, especially if they are enriched with inserts or flaps in real leather that will give it freshness, modernity and character.

Although the original color of  wicker is light beige-brown, today it is possible to find it in various shades, from the lightest to the darkest, from nude, to cadmium yellow for a touch of color and vivacity in the cold winter months.


But where does this exceptional product come from? What was its journey?


The history of wicker brings us back to a very distant time and begins with the use of rattan by the natives who lived in the areas of South Asia and Africa where this plant grew spontaneously.

It is obtained from the extrusion of rattan, a species of climbing palm widespread in tropical and sub-tropical areas. The name of 'medullino' probably derives from the fact that it is obtained from the innermost part of the rattan plant, i.e. from the marrow.

In Europe, wicker arrived through trade with the Indies and, in Italy, it conquered above all the south of the country where this material immediately became widespread and became part of the tradition that, still today, survives as an ancient and precious form of art. The skilled hands of artisans, then as today, weaved baskets of various sizes that were used in the most disparate areas and that were widespread especially among the less well-off classes.

During the eighteenth century, in Great Britain and in Holland, the production of real objects of furniture, chairs, furniture and tables began, which, among the better-off classes, soon became symbols of colonialism and the new taste for furnishing exotic.

In Italy, the spread of rattan and wicker occurred mainly in the post-war period and, in the 1970s, when these fibers began to be treated with materials that improved their resistance to internal agents, furniture made of wicker and rattan became the most sought-after objects for outdoor furnishing.

Fortunately, several venues in Italy are resisting and persisting thanks to which the art of wicker is still handed down today. Ancient villages almost magical for which time seems to have never passed, magic that transpires through bags of typically Mediterranean and somewhat rustic beauty. Among the main Italian regions and cities that preserve and perpetuate tradition, Tuscany is headed with Florence and Pisa, the Marche with Fermo and Pesaro and the Veneto with the romantic and universal Venice.

But they are not the only ones to give life to the fantastic models of wicker bags, Capri is an example. An ethereal , warm city, with narrow alleys surrounded by landscapes and almost fairy-like views, thus proving that it is not exclusively a tourist and modern center, but also rich in history to make known.

Today wicker has a very wide use thanks to its remarkable flexibility, resistance, lightness and eco-sustainability. Therefore choosing rattan articles means not only opting for a unique piece, with a timeless design, produced entirely by hand as in the case of our brand Capricharme, but also using a garment that does not ruin the precious natural heritage.

Using it in a commercial context is therefore an important ethical and responsible choice.


However, some notes on its use have to be made: on the one hand the cultivation of this plant is going towards a progressive disappearance.

Moreover today, with the advent of plastic materials that imitate the bill, the use of wicker has suffered a drastic drop; for this reason, buying a bag made from this plant means having a very unique and unrepeatable piece.


How to wear a wicker bag

The possibilities are really many and I would say that the city look with a pair of jeans, a white shirt, suede mules or leather sandals remains, in my opinion, an iconic. The important thing is to look for pairings that somehow create contrasts, just to avoid the "damsel that comes from the countryside" effect.


Share on:

Leave us your mail
to get free shipping