Frolioli – Book or Luxury Handbag?
Love for literature
The entire concept was created by designer Ksenia Frolova, who designs and manufactures unconventional clutches that look like books. Where did she get the idea to transform books into handbags? “It all stems from my initial desire to write poetry. The feeling of holding a piece of paper that originates from wood still inspires me. Sewing was another one of my favourite hobbies. I’ve always had a passion for fashion and feeling for colour. All this married into a single thing, the desire to create a luxurious accessory for stylish women, which tastefully hints at their preferences in literature.”
It’s all a process
The production of Ksenia Frolova’s clutches is a path that leads from selecting beautiful premium materials to choosing brilliant works by the masters of language. This is followed by precise work in sewing, embellishment with details, photographing and careful wrapping. The high quality of the products and hand crafting with a personal touch is reflected in the overall look of the book-clutch. “Ideas and new designs can come at any time. Each work is special to me. All the products in my collection area a delight to me. I most often create in my work “hive”, just me and the sewing machine,” says Ksenie Frolova.
Luxury materials are the foundation
The basic “building” material used by the designer is velvet, which gives the book-clutch the appropriate luxurious feel. The heart of the book-clutch itself is made of wood or metal, which are enriched with hand-stitched features and embellishments like fringes, chains, gold details, etc. The inside of the handbag is made of various types of fabric, as far as your fantasy can go. Instead of pages full of stories, the luxurious clutch contains a wallet, mobile phone and lipstick.
Questions for the designer:
What are your favourite books? “Definitely historical books about World War II.”
Have you made such a handbag for yourself? “No. But I would probably be the only one to carry it (laughs).”
Who inspired you in creating handbags? “Olympia Le Tan.”
What are your future plans? “I am preparing to make brooches and wedding purses in the future.”
