Italian fashion designer Carla Braccialini dies at 95

Italian fashion designer Carla Braccialini, founder of the handbag and accessories company bearing her name, died in Florence yesterday at the age of 95.

In the 1950s, she founded the artisanal handbag company together with her husband, Roberto. The brand later became internationally renowned for both its own collections and collaborations, including a partnership with Vivienne Westwood, with whom it signed a licensing agreement for the production of accessories in 1986, CE Report quotes ANSA.

After the end of the Second World War, Braccialini recognised that the Italian market was ready for experimentation in handbag design. She began creating colourful models featuring unusual details and bold, pop-inspired designs, decorated with flowers, animals and little houses.

Following her husband's death in the 1970s, she personally managed the company alongside their three sons, Riccardo, Massimo and Lorenzo.

Her life story was documented in the biographical book La ragazza che non sapeva fare le borse (The Girl Who Didn't Know How to Make Handbags), which traces the 90-year journey of a woman who, despite having no formal technical training in fashion, managed to invent a new approach to accessory design.

In the book, Braccialini recounts her childhood in Ponte a Mensola, Tuscany, during the wartime bombings, as well as her experiences as a mother, wife and entrepreneur.

Among her honours was the title of Knight of Labour, awarded in 2009 by then Italian President Giorgio Napolitano.

Today, the Braccialini brand continues to operate following its acquisition in April 2017 by Graziella Holding, a company based in Arezzo, Italy.

Photo: Chat GPT