Fabio Panzeri paints bold colours to the 130-year-old legacy of Braun Büffel

By RIO ROSE RIBAYA
As the original was published on 22 February 2018

 

Braun Büffel has successfully shed its staid, masculine image. Instead of the usual blacks and browns, vivid colours and contemporary shapes now highlight its wallets, purses, handbags, and other premium leather accessories that are more responsive to the metropolitan lifestyle of young consumers today.

Its recent collections also accomplished sleek looks and rugged aesthetics, with most of the outstanding designs incorporating a variation of calf, goat, and other exotic leathers. When combined with metallic finishes, they exude an air of sophistication and are noticeably edgier, fun, and more gender-neutral.

Entrepreneur and entertainer Hannah Tan poses with Braun Büffel Spring/Summer 2018’s capsule collection for women.

Each Braun Büffel bag evokes a character as bold as the man who designed and styled it – Fabio Panzeri. The 48-year-old Italian has almost 25 years of designing leather goods and accessories for brands like Prada, Helmut Lang, Dolce & Gabbana, and Calvin Klein. The designer also worked alongside Trussardi, Perelli, and Replay – fully justifying his appointment as Braun Büffel’s creative director in June 2017.

Read more: Q&A: Braun Büffel Managing Director Christianne Brunk on trying to bag the millennials

“I took over the creative direction for the Spring/Summer 2018 campaign and my ideology is to create a campaign with more movement and emotion. It’s not just a still image of a model with a bag,” Panzeri told Lifestyle Asia KL.

Fabio Panzeri, the new creative director of Braun Büffel, has 25 years of designing leather products for Prada, Helmut Lang, Dolce & Gabbana, and Calvin Klein.

Its Spring/Summer 2018 collection is no exception. The latest Braun Büffel collection took inspiration from the turquoise blue colours surrounding the whitewashed villages of Santorini, Mykonos, and Milos. And it’s clearly present in the tri-colour combination of the women’s capsule collection.

Our favourite pick, the Kelis top-handle bag, showcases luxe finishing with a round top resin handle attached to two adjoining resin and metallic rings. It also features a modern version of the Braun Büffel logo in contrasting black and gold accents.

Braun Büffel Spring/Summer 2018 collection takes inspiration from the stunning landscape and colours of famous Greek Islands like Santorini, Mykonos, and Milos.

The design philosophy for the men’s bags, meanwhile, appeals to their nomadic sensibilities and need for utility and function. Crafted from nappa leather that is lightweight, commuters and travellers will appreciate its men’s capsule collection, which ranges from a messenger bag to a cross shoulder sling.

Read more: Fall in love with the latest fragrances from Salvatore Ferragamo

“It’s not just about their sense of style but also their lifestyle. There is a demand for lighter bags, smaller bag shapes, and designs that are not only practical for cosmopolitan usage but are also stylish and fashion-forward,” Panzeri explained. “That’s where I step in, because the art of leather craftsmanship and design is akin to science where I am excited for the challenge to create the perfect leather accessory that fits the evolving lifestyle.”

Fabio Panzeri

To be released in April, the house’s Spring Summer 2018 collection sets the tone for the brand’s new artistic direction. Watch actress and model Hannah Tan interview Braun Büffel’s creative director and learn more about his design philosophy that’s transforming the brand’s 130-year-old legacy into an influential lifestyle brand.

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