.....: Maria Brito Marries Fashion and Art in New Clutch Collection

From left: Clutches by Maria Brito in collaboration with Carlos Rolón/Dzine, Erik Parker and Kenny Scharf

Courtesy of Maria Brito

One could argue that all fashion is art, but nothing makes the statement more clear than lifestyle consultant Maria Brito’s new collection of wearable art clutches. In collaboration with three contemporary artists Kenny Scharf, Erik Parker and Carlos Rolón/Dzine, these one-of-a-kind bags are perfect to tote around a lipstick on a night out or display on a pedestal as a work of art.
Brito, founder of interior design company Lifestyling who’s worked with a range of celebrity clients, including Gwyneth Paltrow and Sean Combs, found a spectrum of “cool” art-fashion collaborations like Damien Hirst and Prada’s “Entomology” bags, but none she or her friends and clients can actually wear. “So I thought, ‘Why not create a work of art that can complement an outfit but you can also treasure?’,” she said.
For Brito’s debut fashion collection, available next month, her goal was to form a connection between the artist and the collector. “Women who will get these bags may not know the artists, but might love the designs and feel compelled to learn about them,” said Brito, who calls her three collaborators “friends,” The bags, made out of acrylic, feature three original designs with the artists’ signatures etched on the back. And unlike most fashion items, these clutches, like most works of art, are meant to be “timeless.” she adds. “A diptych by Erik Parker [Chatta Island (2012)] hangs in my client’s living room all year, she doesn’t change it the next season.”