Rebecca de Ravenel is growing her cult accessories business.
The Los Angeles-based designer — who gained fans with her line of “Les Bonbons” statement earrings — will introduce handbags at her presentation Tuesday.
The cylindrical bucket — to be named the “Loulou Basket” — will come in neutral raffias and jewel-tone velvet. The style will be manufactured in New York and will retail for $1,195.
“The bag is an obvious choice for me. I’ve been collecting bags my whole life. I got a bug for beautiful bags at a young age — so this was a natural evolution for me,” de Ravenel said.
The bag’s seven-inch cylinder is bookended by tortoiseshell resin disks at its top and bottom, with a double, gold-tone chain strap. Velvet bags — to be offered in citrine, emerald, amethyst, aqua and pink tourmaline — come lined with contrast-color moiré fabric. Raffia — to be fabricated in natural, chocolate and black — will be lined in tonal moiré. Both styles will be sold with interior pouches in which to store keepsakes.
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The styles do not utilize animal byproducts. “I don’t work with any animal goods — I’ve thought about this over the last couple of years and [came to the conclusion that] I don’t eat animals, and I don’t have to work with those products,” de Ravenel said.
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The Loulou Basket will launch on Moda Operandi for pre-order with a trunk show scheduled for Feb. 16.
De Ravenel’s spherical “Les Bonbons” earring style — made in India of delicate woven silk thread — has been a sleeper hit, selling more than 10,000 pairs since its 2015 launch.
De Ravenel said she remains conscious of her brand’s success as she charts expansion and new categories. “It’s great to try new things, but I am very much keeping in mind what I started with. My bag is a cylinder so still has a circular feel,” she said.
The designer will introduce new earring extensions at her presentation — a tassel, cherry and drop hoop shape, among others. All incorporate de Ravenel’s trademark silk-wrapped sphere.
“It’s very much all Bonbons-inspired. I always want to keep the classic shape and evolve it in some way. The droop hoop has a Bonbon in it — I think the reason [the original style] did so well was because it was so versatile, very simple while still graphic. I don’t want to shy away too much from where we started.”