Basket Case: Marni Christmas charity handbags
Italian fashion house Marni is launching “Marni Charity Baskets”, a limited-edition range of handbags and totes in association with the charity Vimala.
Italian fashion house Marni is launching “Marni Charity Baskets”, a limited-edition range of handbags and totes in association with the charity Vimala.
The range comprises two different bag sizes in bright, tropical color schemes based on orange and green. Completely handmade by artisans in Colombia using traditional techniques, the woven styles feature folk-style geometric patterns and contrasting hues.
The proceeds from the accessories will be donated to Vimala, which helps abandoned and handicapped children in India, Brazil, Africa, Guinea Bissau and other countries. Founded in 1999, it offers immediate material assistance to those in need and works to fund education for children. The Marni project aims to enable the organization to complete the restoration of a school in India for more than 50 seriously handicapped children.
The project is the latest charitable endeavor by Marni, whose previous festive collaborations have included an exhibition of 125 chairs made in Colombia by ex-prisoners, in an effort to help them re-integrate into social and working life in 2012, and a 2014 Milan Design Week exhibit handmade by a group of female Colombian workers as part of a sustainable work initiative, with a portion of the proceeds being donated to charities which help terminally ill children.
The bags will be available for purchase for a limited amount of time from December 4-11, from Marni stores or Marni.com. They will be priced at €90 (approximately US$97) for the smaller model and €120 (approximately US$130) for the larger size.