LONDON — For Valentine’s Day, Swarovski looked to its loved ones to collaborate. Partnering with sixth-generation Swarovski family member Marina Raphael, founder of her eponymous accessories brand, the capsule collection features three candy-heart colored bedazzled handbags.
“The handbag capsule was designed to be paired with the new Swarovski Valentine’s jewelry, hence the soft blue, pink and white color tones. Our aim was to create the perfect compact yet versatile mini bag that would hold all your essentials and still make a statement,” Raphael said in an interview.
Swarovski’s Valentine’s Day jewelry collection, which launched earlier this week, took inspiration from “love tokens my mother and grandmother received from their sweethearts,” Giovanna Engelbert, Swarovski’s creative director, told WWD.
This capsule developed on that theme.
“Love can manifest in so many different forms, whether it is self-love, romantic love, friendships or familial bonds and this collection was created to celebrate everybody and all types of love,” Raphael said.
The handbag in its pale blue colorway.
Courtesy of Swarovski
In shades of pastel pink, blue and white, the sparkling bags are Raphael’s second collaboration with Swarovski and Engelbert; the first, launched in 2021, featured three styles of handbags, each made entirely out of crystal.
The capsule is a part of Swarovski’s Creators Lab platform, which was created in 2021 and offers collaborations between the crystal-maker and emerging and established brands.
“The Lab harnesses the creativity and savoir-faire core to Swarovski’s heritage, and it is a delight to collaborate on unique items that celebrate crystal as a creative ingredient,” Engelbert said.