Bags are made of Iraca palm threads and gilt, Caracoles, Flores and Infinito

It’s hard not to be seduced when facing two Colombian beauties who create magical bags. Lucia Echavarria is the designer of Magnetic Midnight, her cousin Cloclo Etchavarria the events organiser with Creo consultants.  The Irachnae bags are made of Iraca Palm leaves wowen in a lace like technique by Colombians in Usiacuri North east of Cartagena. The natural thread takes the shape of Caracoles, shells, Flores, flowers of Infinito…

Lucia, the designer and Cloclo Echavarria took Paris over with their jewel like bags

Lucia started out two years ago with head bands very inspired from Oaxaca style embroideries. This Colombian artist who lives in New York had fallen in love with Mexican colors after graduating from Brown. She has evolved into using the artisans of Usiacuri, a colonial town founded in 1553 an hour south west of Baranquilla, in the Atlantic province to thread handbags. The whole village, which has medicinal healing waters,  is dedicated to making hats, purses and traditional baskets in this very robust fiber of Iraca palm.

The fibers of Iraca palm are wowen to create the bags

Lucia has created “minaudières”  for the day in colored palm leaves and for night wear in golden threads. They are sophisticated and light,  and sell for 750 to 1 200 $. Each bag is an edition of 15 and is declined in sixteen patterns. They take three weeks to make by very skilled weavers.

Caracoles in blue and gold

The simplicity of the patterns and the lightness of the bags allows you to wear them on the beach or in a nightclub. During the Haute couture week end in Paris, buyers were crowding in the small show room of rue Bonaparte decorated as a navy blue sky illuminated by stars.

This small business venture will soon be very famous. Don’t forget the name, Magnetic Midnight! Online orders only…

Headbands, brooches, anything that makes you dream from Magnetic Midnight