Cool Hunting

Given that she's one of Australia’s most respected and recognized accessories designers, Elke Kramer's announcement last month that she was branching out into a line of leather bags, scarves and belts is a welcome one. CH caught up with the designer, artist and all-round nice girl to chat about totes, tunes and technical design.

You're renowned for bracelets, bangles, pendants and rings. Why did you decided to branch out into belts, totes, bags and scarves?
After multiple seasons of jewelery collections, expanding into bags, scarves and belts was a natural progression. I thrive off new challenges and a new product brings with it a new realm of boundaries and possibilities.

What makes your bags better than all the rest out there? All of my products have a really strong attention to detail. Every feature and component is custom-designed and made from scratch—from the oversized inlay copper jump-rings and clasps to the laser cut piping and digitally-printed lining. As a graphic designer I can personally lend my creative touch to every element of the total package, like the huge woven labels, the foil printed swing tags and the full color custom packaging. It’s an opportunity for me to trial techniques that I am curious about and create something completely unique.

Finally, if you had to describe the bags with a song, which song would it be?
Blood Sugar Sex Magik by The Chili Peppers!