Iconic Inspirations
Uncovering the eclectic influences of Akris’ seminal Ai bag.
It’s easy to appreciate the aesthetics of a beautiful object—the richness of its fabric, the genius of its functional shape—but the story behind it can bring new depth to that admiration. In the case of the Ai bag, Akris’ first foray into accessories 10 years ago, Creative Director Albert Kriemler found inspiration in surprising places, lending a fascinating backstory to the celebrity-favorite tote. Here are just a handful of the unexpected inspirations that elevate these bags to be more than just the sum of their stitches.
Minimalist Architecture
“I was always thinking of my handbag collection being much more architecture than fashion,” Kriemler says. He first found inspiration for the bag’s shape while exploring the Jinhua Architecture Park near Shanghai, which was made up of 17 eclectic pavilions crafted by architects from all over the world. One particular building, Tatiana Bilbao’s Exhibition Space, caught his eye for its trapezoidal shape and functional design, which guides visitors through the structure. That marriage of shape and functionality is mirrored in the architectural design of the Ai bag.
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© Photographer: Iwan Baan, Netherlands; Architect: Tatiana Bilbao, Mexico
Horsehair Textile
One of Kriemler’s passions is employing surprising materials, so horsehair was a natural fit. He grew up around his grandmother’s collection of horsehair furniture, and the fabric is one of his signature materials. “Horsehair was the perfect expression of my passion for unique textiles when I chose it for the first Ai bag in 2009,” he says. “It is an unexpected fabric in luxury accessories, but super-lightweight for travel, resilient and supremely rarefied.” Horsehair also saturates color just as well as cashmere, making for bright, vibrant bags and clothing. In another nod to the equine world, many of Akris’ bags are named after horses.
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You can see the trapezoidal shape echoed throughout much of Akris’ wider collection, from buckles and clasps to the design of silhouettes. That seemingly simple inspiration is mirrored across the accessory collection as well: the Ai’s corners fold in and clasp to form that signature trapezoidal top. Though the purse is meant to function as a tote, the bag’s distinctive design takes it a step further, living up to Kriemler’s belief that “functionality is beautiful.”
Trapezoids
Many of Akris’ designs are rooted in artistic tradition and techniques. Various Ai bags over the years have been inspired by artists, ranging from the patterns of Antonio Calderara to the abstract minimalism of Carmen Herrera, a past collaborator. “Every new collection is a totally new approach for me,” Kriemler says. “It’s never the same thing, because you get inspired by the artist’s work, and I want to devote a collection to an artist. But I’m not interested in doing art pieces in fashion. I design things that want to be worn—and that’s Akris.”
The Art World
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This eclectic group of inspirations has influenced the Ai, and, in turn, the seminal “it” bag is now inspiring the newest accessory from Akris. To commemorate a decade of Ai, the fashion house is celebrating with a new sister bag—the Aicon—which simultaneously builds on, and honors, the design and heritage of its predecessor. The Aicon is an oversized tote, but its embossed cervo leather design creates a trompe l’oeil—an artistic technique that uses optical illusions and realistic-looking imagery to fool the eye into perceiving depth and dimension—to simulate the Ai’s classic trapezoidal shape and closure. Kreimler says this homage was meant to be forward-looking, instead of nostalgic. “To celebrate the 10 years of Ai, we developed an anniversary bag,” he says, “but it has grown into that Aicon as a first anniversary bag for the future.”
Introducing Aicon
Iconic Inspirations
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