Redefining the Evening Clutch
When fashion editor Karla Martinez was tasked with curating a one-of-a-kind collaboration for the e-commerce site Whisper Editions, she immediately thought of creative director par excellence (and Interview‘s own editorial director) Fabien Baron. For the designer, she turned to Brett Heyman, a former Gucci exec-turned-CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Finalist, and the founder and creative director of handbag label du jour Edie Parker.
“I have always admired Fabien’s aesthetic with everything he creates–from his work with print magazines, to product and logo design,” Martinez shares. “I remembered a sunglasses collaboration he did a few years ago, and I thought it would be interesting to see his take on a woman’s bag,” she continues. “Brett has changed evening bags as of late. Everyone is wearing Edie Parker, and the materials are so interesting to play with…Fabien and Brett were an unexpected, but perfect match!”
“We wanted to create a balance between glamour and functionality, and between luxuriousness and minimalism,” says Baron. “Working with Brett was super easy, and we only went back and forth a couple of times before the final comp was produced.”
“We were like pen pals,” jokes Heyman.
Baron is widely admired for his ultra sleek, sensual, and subtle approach to fashion and style (Interview aside, years of sultry Calvin Klein print and television advertisements come to mind). In contrast, Heyman’s design aesthetic, while equally elegant in its controlled silhouette and innovative textures, is irreverent, and unapologetically glam by nature–the bags call attention to their wearers. They’re the perfect conversation piece or dull moment deterrent.
Signature Edie Parker styles include: an array of rainbow-colored rectangular gems named “Jean,” some striped, others solid; silver and gold glitter confetti encased in clear Lucite; a “Lara” wrap of midnight-colored glitter flanked by glow-in-the-dark wedges of ice; soft styles with multicolored pompoms on Indian patchwork textiles; and custom orders that read: “#EdieParker,” “Li’l Spoon” (created for a certain petite Academy Award-winning actress), and “Baller,” to which Heyman sang, “I wish I was a little bit taller.”
Evocative of rock crystal candy, Edie Parker handbags are at once sweet and rough. But from the vantage point of Heyman’s Upper East Side offices, and Heyman herself (equal parts Hitchcock Heroine and model-off-duty in Junya Wantanabe), these bags are for girls who dare to do it all, glamorously undone, that is.
The limited edition “Whisper Clutch” is moody, and in true Baron fashion, sexy, its steely grey, marbleized pearlescent framed by a slither of gunmetal. “I wanted to do a clutch that was as slim as we could get it, but still functional,” Baron explains.
“This is the definitely the slimmest bag we’ve ever made, but what does anyone really need in their evening bag?” adds Heyman. The sleek clutch is 9.5″ long x 1″ wide x 4.5″ tall, in other words, large enough to fit an iPhone 6+, a lipstick, and a credit card. “It’s very versatile, and can easily be worn on the red carpet with an evening gown, or out for the night in a pair of jeans,” says Baron.
“Technically, these are evening bags, and while I wouldn’t wear them on a school run, I would wear them to lunch.” The final word in bags from supremely chic lady herself: Travel lightly.
EDIE PARKER X FABIEN BARON’S WHISPER CLUTCH IS AVAILABLE ONLINE AT WHISPER EDITIONS.
