Nicholas Kirkwood Reimagines Bulgari’s Iconic Serpenti bag

From stilettos to snake motifs, this shoemaker marries heritage and age-old emblems with London’s rock’n’roll vibe for a capsule collection you don’t want to miss

British designer Nicholas Kirkwood, best known for his eponymous quirky and feminine footwear label, has teamed up with Bulgari to design a capsule collection of the Italian brand’s cult Serpenti handbag.

The four piece collection was inspired by the snake motif and is made up of a shoulder bag, backpack, envelope clutch and a wallet, all of which feature Bulgari’s signature snakehead clasp. Each piece is decorated with coloured studs in a gemstone-inspired palette of black and white, pink, saphire, and gold to create a three-dimensional chevron pattern.“I created the chevron patterns using rubberized studs, which have faceted ends that reminded me of diamond settings, and some of the spectacular gemstones I had seen in the Bulgari High Jewellery atelier in Rome,” said Nicholas Kirkwood.  

“Although we’re very different kinds of brands, there are a lot of similarities in the codes that we use,” he added. “I wanted there to be this slightly more contemporary London feel about the collection, but still execute it in a very Bulgari way. I kept thinking about London when designing it and the feminine irreverence of its residents that inspires my own designs.”

The making a Bulgari X Nichols Kirkwood Serpenti bag

The footwear designer has created shoes for Erdem, Roksanda and Peter Pilotto, meaning he’s no stranger to such collaborations, however this partnership is Kirkwood’s first since his brand was acquired by LVMH – the same parent company as Bulgari – in 2013.

Group sketch of the capsule collection

The capsule collection will be available from September 1 at Net-a-Porter, Printemps and Saks Fifth Avenue, as well as a selection of Bulgari stores and Nicholas Kirkwood’s flagship London boutique.