Elysian Park Handbags
Designer Raven Daye is following in her father’s footsteps. Her father, Cory, made handcrafted leather bags for Mick Jagger, Joan Baez and Grace Slick. He also taught Raven that “the bag one carries their things in is as important as the things themselves.”
The Noetic Showroom launched Elysian Park Handbags for Holiday 2006, but Daye has dabbled in handbag design since her father passed away in 1996. Of her new line, she said: “It’s much different than what my dad was doing back in the day. There is much more to consider than just a pretty bag. I know I have to dig deeper than just what I like. The most important thing for me is for a bag to feel soft and worn-in without looking old and ratty.”
Daye’s collection of luxe leather bags is currently produced locally in Los Angeles, and she still considers her childhood home in the Elysian Park hills as home base. Daye describes her colorful bags as an extension of herself. “I think bags and shoes are like art,” she said. “What I may like in a bag or shoes, another may hate. There are so many choices out there today. It’s interesting what moves a person. Why are we drawn to certain things, objects, people?”
The well-edited Elysian Park line ranges from classic, understated shapes to more interesting silhouettes such as the Travis bag, with a ribbed, gathered top. All of the bags are surprisingly lightweight, given the luxurious leathers and navy suede linings. The Fall collection features new Italian leather that is smoother than the Italian shrunken lambskin of previous seasons. Daye chose a classic color range of olive, navy, chocolate, nude, black, vanilla and red. “Personally, I love navy, deep reds or ugly greens, but the classic colors seem to always sell best,” she adds.
The free-spirited designer names the bags after important men in her life, including her father, “Cory”; grandfather “Cornell”; and ex-boyfriends and close friends. Her favorite styles from the Fall 2007 collection are the “Todd” bag and the “August” clutch—both newcomers to the line. When asked about the inspirations for the new collection, she cites traveling and the “love of my life.” At press time, she was working on a bag to name after her beloved boyfriend. “It’s been difficult,” she said. “There have been a few, but they just haven’t been right—stay tuned!”
Top retailers for Elysian Park include Fred Segal Santa Monica, the Market boutique in Los Angeles’ Brentwood neighborhood, The Kids Are Alright in Los Angeles’ Silver Lake district and the online shop Le Train Bleu (www.letrainbleu.com). Wholesale prices range from $120 for the Cornell clutch to $240 for the “Cory” bucket bag.
For information, call (213) 614-7924. —Dena Smolek
