Bea Valdes and her bag and jewelry designs
Bea Valdes has turn bag and accessory design into an exquisite art form. She of the intricately beaded and bejewelled handbags that at first glance look like oversized Faberge eggs or precious, glittering remnants of the glory days of the maharajahs.
Philippines-born Bea Valdes first burst into the international scene with her handbags which made their debut in US Vogue. Soon afterward, other international titles and major retailers picked up her line. With the success of her bags, she started creating bib necklaces. These proved to be a big trend and were soon copied by boldfaced and little-known designers alike. But the imitations paled to the craftsmanship and design details that go into a Bea Valdes piece.
“I prefer to explore certain emotions when I am creating. Underneath, I think the main narrative that I drift towards is that of longing and desire. We make pieces that stand on their own, a symbol of heroic feminine narrative, rather that just an accessory. They are complicated and complex as we believe women to be,” described Bea of her creative process.
Bea has recently expanded her line to include vests that are as stunningly beaded as her bag designs. She also created an avant garde jewelry showpiece for Swarovski called Equus that looked like shards of antique mirror strung together.
Below, Bea Valdes shares the Five Things She Cannot Live Without...
1. My family.
2. Warm milk, tomato soup and toasted cheese sandwiches!
3. My Inno Sotto lace jackets — well loved and well worn.
4. My workshop — it is my second home.
5. Artwork and books — I love learning about other people’s stories.
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Bea Valdes Spring 2012
Bea Valdes Spring 2012
