Billionairess Petra Eccleston's fashion line Stark is to launch at next week's New York Fashion Week.
And, although the It girl has caused quite a stir in the U.S. with her recent purchase of the $85million former Spelling mansion in LA, she insists that the accessories brand will 'speak for itself.'
'It’s not about me - it’s not a Petra Ecclestone handbag, it’s a Stark handbag. There’s a huge difference.'
The younger daughter of Bernie Ecclestone, the British Formula 1 racing mogul, Ms Ecclestone is no stranger to high fashion - the self-confessed lover of bags and shoes is particularly partial to an Hermes Birkin bag - the prices of which run up to $65,000 each.
The accessories range includes handbags and purses that while not fall into the practical category certainly look like the spoils of a billionairess. Think gold, opulent leathers and uber luxury.
Speaking with WWD, the 22-year-old Londoner and owner of a $175million real estate portfolio said that she hopes the collection, to be unveiled at Gramercy Park Hotel, will not be judged upon by her status alone.
'[My background] doesn’t change that I’m trying to be a successful designer.'
'Obviously people are going to have preconceived ideas that it’s not me working, that I don’t come to the office, like I do - I don’t think you can ever change that,' she told the fashion newspaper.
Although Ms Ecclestone says the bags are 'just really kind of fun, glitzy pieces,' her designs are clearly targeted to those with whom Ms Ecclestone may usually mix.
Stark reality: The new collection, launching at next week's New York Fashion Week ranges from $495 to $4,795
Materials include ultra-luxurious python skin, alligator skin and Nappa leather with gold studs or Swarovski crystals details.
A baguette clutch fashioned from alligator leather and encased in a boxy gold frame features a panther that is not unlike that on a Jaguar car bonnet.
Prices range from $495 to $4,795 with a will appeal to women of the designer's 'age and a bit older, obviously because of the price points.'
'Hopefully we’ll have a good reaction and [the collection] will speak for itself.'
Certainly, the London-based It girl has made a point of her hands-on development of the project.
She said in a recent GMA interview: 'I'm a hard-working girl. I go to the office. I work a normal 9 to 5 job most days.
'Fun, glitzy pieces': The bags are clearly stamped with the newlywed's aesthetic
'I'm not spoilt. I'm privileged. And I think there's a big difference.'
She is well aware of the perils of launching a company in the recession, particularly as her foray into accessories follows her now-defunct menswear label, Form, which closed late last year.
'I think the world is still all over the place and the economy is really not great. I think it’s picked itself up but who knows what’s next in the next few months,' she said to WWD.
She is confident, however, that women's insatiable love of bags will be a boon to her business.
'It’s women’s accessories and I think that’s where women spend a great deal of money, is [on] their handbags and their shoes.'
Far from stark: The range includes bright leathers and patterns sourced from Italy. Ms Ecclestone will run the company from her new LA home
Indeed, the young lady has high hopes for the brand, telling the fashion newspaper that she is determined to take Stark 'worldwide.' She plans to produce shoes in the future and to open a store in LA, close to her new, eye-wateringly expensive home.
Her mansion - the former pad of Candy Spelling and a landmark in LA's dynastic landscape - is 57,000 square feet and boasts 14 bedrooms, a garage for 100 cars and a two-lane bowling alley.
The heiress will this month move to her new home with husband Jamie Stunt. The couple married last month in a lavish ceremony that saw her father fly 300 guests to the romantic refinement of the 13th Century Odescalchi Castle near Rome. The Black Eyed Peas performed at the spectacular party for a reported $2.5million.
She says she has changed the 'majority' of the 'Spelling mansion, giving it her touch: 'It’s [in] my taste, which is quite masculine and quite dark actually… and it’s livable.'
And, in contrast to the sleek, modern designs of her first Stark line, she says that she 'likes things that are cozy, not kind of modern and very minimalistic and you can’t really sit down on a chair if it’s uncomfortable.'
We expect we'll be seeing much more of Ms Ecclestone's - or should that be Stark's? - taste in the near future.
No comments:
Post a Comment