This summer, the perfect satchel isn't understated or simple; but instead bright, embellished and statement-making -- rather like jewelry for your shoulder. Thusly, the beautiful boho bags from East Village label, Elliot Mann, have the luck of feeling utterly of-the-moment.
Created by Danish-born designer Louise Paul, neighborhood shoppers know Mann's ninth-street boutique for its globally-inspired separates and limited-edition bags, which are fashioned largely from vintage materials.
"Being down in the East Village is such a big part of what we do," says Paul. "Inspiration is always just a door a way ... the Lower East Side has always been the neighborhood of immigrants. Such a mixture of so many cultures. It is the Bohemia that we all dreamed about in our youth."
Her eclectic creations combine fabrics and embellishments from global travels as well as jaunts around the neighborhood. "We take it as it comes and we roll with it as best we can," she explains. One of her travel bags, for example, incorporates slices of an oversize comforter sourced from a second hand shop on Second Avenue and 23rd Street. "I am still waiting to hear someone say, 'I had bed coverings like that!'"
Vintage belts from the Middle East often serve as bag details, while antique Danish tablecloths can be re-purposed for skirts. "We just can't avoid the reclaiming of beautiful textiles and putting them to work," she says. "Our clothing will always bounce around from soft cottons to jersey blends...it's our nature."
