Pyramid studs. Bold hardware. Italian leather. Prada.
Oh god, I think heart skipped a beat. It’s like they reached into my creative soul and created the Elektra Studs bag.
I’m reminded every so often that I never truly grew out of my punk phase. I usually gravitate towards accessories with elegant yet bold hardware like chains, studs, nails, spikes, straps, buckles…
Punk rock culture has had impact on high fashion (and me) since the movement’s birth in the early 1970s. Vivienne Westwood, British fashion designer, is credited for bringing modern punk and new wave fashion into the mainstream; she made clothes with Malcolm McLaren, the manager of iconic punk band the Sex Pistols. Once iconic New York punk club CBGBs, where The Ramones used to play, is now a John Varvatos store.
It’s not hard to find inspiration in the fashion of punk rockers, with their DIY studded leather jackets and patch-sewn plaid tapered pants created with the tenaciousness of a couturier.
The hard part is using that inspiration and making it look elegant, simple, and not like a costume. The juxtaposition of punk (which is usually provocative, offensive and known for being disruptive), and creating a beautiful leather bag with jewel-like embellishment is a playful challenge… and I love it.
Studs, by nature, repel and are meant to scare away… but here, in this Prada bag, they are used as jewels with luxurious Italian leather.
The Elektra bag reminds me of the studded belt I wore in my adolescence (in the best possible way). Maybe it’s just nostalgia. Maybe this bag is tacky. I don’t know. At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter, because I like it.
Prada Elektra Calf Leather Bag
Style Number: 1BD120
MSRP $2,350
The Prada Elektra Studs collection offers a new interpretation of the Prada silhouette with its blend of punk gone posh style. The metal studs create a bold design element, wrapped around the flap top of the push-lock bag and carried over to the strap.
- Height: 7″ x Width: 9.5″ x Depth: 2″
- Detachable, adjustable shoulder strap
- Front flap with clasp closure
- Studded details
- Smooth and saffiano leather
- One internal zip pocket
- Made in Italy
The Elektra comes in a few styles: shoulder bag, Mini wallet-on-chain style and a top handle flap shoulder bag, but I love this crossbody version the most.
