It’s safe to say that cult-favourite Kiko Kostadinov has a knack for creating an It-bag. Conceived by its womenswear co-creative directors Laura and Deanna Fanning, the Trivia bag – which was originally part of the brand’s autumn/winter 2021 collection – has been seen on the likes of Bella Hadid and Iris Law, as well as being popular among the international street-style set. Now, the Melbourne-born and London-based twins are launching their new bag for autumn/winter 2022: the Wishbone.
Made from premium Napa leather, the bag is delightfully soft and collapsible with a focus on graphic shapes at the ends – which the girls have noted as somewhat of a faux pas in the world of traditional bag-making – that come in diamonds, circles and triangles. The name is in reference to the subtle bit of hardware that emulates an actual wishbone. “They look a bit like deflated sofa upholstery, but in the best way,” explains Deanna. “We love that you have to dress the bag rather than the other way around, and there [are] so many different ways to wear it.”
Coming in an array of sizes and delectable shades of baby pink, plum and a sprightly green, the Wishbone bags are integral to the themes of the latest collection. Laura and Deanna wanted to splice together the classical notions of glamour from two opposite ends of the aesthetic spectrum – one being the elegant, Gothic qualities of 1930s silver screen sirens, and the other being uber girly. “It always feels like it’s either one or the other, when it comes to women’s clothes – why can’t both exist together?” asks Laura. “We wanted to bring together tension points from within that glamorous paradigm, and poke fun at certain elements like the little black dress, a paisley pattern – which we’ve made look almost like faux leopard – or glittery knitted opera gloves,” adds Deanna.
When asked about the success of the Trivia bag and whether it was ever planned to be a coveted item, Deanna replies: “Not at all, it was positively surprising.” “We design solely with our collection concept in mind, never a specific muse, so it’s amazing to see it has resonated with so many people,” Laura adds. To the sisters, the experience feels oddly full-circle, as their original research involved street-style magazine cut-outs that featured all of the It-bags of generations passed. This season, there are glitterised – or “yassified” in internet-culture terms – iterations of the Trivia that are certain to send the It-girls wild, too.
The designers – who’ve had a multitude of successful accessory collaborations in the past with Medea, Asics and Camper – are looking forward to branching out into garment-based collaborative projects this year. “It’s actually something we’ve never done before, so it’s very exciting,” says Laura. We look forward to seeing what the girls have up their sleeve, but, for now, it’s time to plot on getting our hands on the Wishbone bag.
