That Special Find? Buy It When You See It !

How many times have you been somewhere, your one and only time being there, and not bought what you really wanted? I used to have so many regrets upon return from a trip- years ago. So now my mantra is: buy it.

I would obsess and obsess about the wallet, the Italian jewelry, the outfit, the leather pocketbook, the boots---oooh the boots-and I’d end up calling overseas, reminding the salesperson who I was, and describing the item- and then would pay to have the item shipped to me. And I couldn’t rest until it was done- anyways- no more of that craziness- I just buy it when I see it.

It was impossible to let go of desiring that special something, whatever it was. But that feeling has mellowed somehow now. First of all, aging is kind of good to us in that way. It seems to either enhance or diminish certain idiosyncrasies. The ones it enhances we just have to live with; and the ones that aging diminishes, well, be thankful.

Nowadays, even though it is certainly true that we enjoy a global marketplace, and that stunning Italian necklace or soft leather pocketbook you passed up could possibly be found online, better to be safe – and then enjoy the excitement of unpacking when you get home.

Angela Caputi Collection

Annalisa Miniutti Collection

Happy Valentine's Day from Serena Italian Imports

Serena Imports' Holiday Kickoff

Simply and Elegantly Dressed, with Annalisa Miniutti Over My Shoulder

Many of you know that on my last trip to Italy I spent a day in Rovigo with Italian handbag designer Annalisa Miniutti and her husband Massimo. While there, we decided that it would be great to import a new shipment of leather handbags to the U.S.

The group of bags that we’ve received is varied- tote bags for travel, leather shoulder bags, leather clutch handbags- some casual, others a bit more dressy. And some have chains as handles, reminiscent of the Chanel bags. Because we are direct importers, we are able to showcase designer handbags for less.

We like to keep our color palette simple- black, navy, neutral, off-white. For me, the more simply colored I am dressed and accessorized, the clearer I can think, and the better I can go about my day! That doesn’t mean boring. But I do focus on clean lines, with a bit of an edge, and nothing frilly.

I also feel that quality is key. Your Italian handbag doesn’t have to shout out identifiable logos. In fact nothing about your outfit has to shout out anything. And you don’t have to spend a crazy amount of money. For me, I prefer a quieter sophistication. It’s all in the cut, the fit, and the way you put it all together.

The Pleasure of Giving to Dress for Success

This past weekend, Serena Italian Imports was welcomed into the home of a generous Greater Boston family, to have a fundraiser for Dress for Success Boston.We entertained approximately 50 women, and turned them into Italian fashionistas for the afternoon. A wide variety of merchandise was available for sale, including italian handbags, Angela Caputi jewelry, Annalisa Miniutti handbags and scarves, Gianni Chiarini handbags, Sambonet stainlesss steel bowls, and more.

Thankfully, we had lots of volunteers helping us. The hours were a whirlwind of activity, with women trying on jewelry and belts, planning gift-giving, dispensing fashion advice and making new acquaintances. One of the hot items of the day was an Angela Caputi chain link bracelet, as seen on the Sartorialist blog, worn by the beautiful Viviana Volpicella. The most popular colors of the day were amber, black, lucite and jade.

While shopping, everyone was able to snack on veggies, fruit, luscious mini-pastries and cookies. It was an invigorating afternoon- and the best part came at the end.

As we tallied up the sales of the day, 20% of which was going to be donated to Dress for Success Boston, I couldn’t help but start to cry. We had far surpassed my expectations and my goal for the day, and were able to make a substantial donation to the organization.

Having volunteered at DFSB for many years, I am acutely aware of what this money could go towards- a few weeks’ salary for an employee, computer equipment for the office, blouses, suits, shoes,- a myriad of items come to mind.

Every little bit counts, especially during these trying times. I am honored and proud to have done my part and I cannot tell you how wonderful I feel today.

Italian Handbags- A Day at Annalisa Miniutti

We’re back from Italy with lots of stories to tell!

First off, we’d like to share a bit about our wonderful day with Italian handbag designer Annalisa Miniutti and her delightful husband Massimo.

After about an hour’s train ride from Florence, we arrived in Rovigo, which is in the Veneto region of Italy – and Massimo was there to greet us and take us to Lendinara, home of Annalisa Miniutti. It’s a sleepy little town- and much quieter than our home base of Florence- but there’s much activity in the showroom and offices of Annalisa Miniutti.

Annalisa described for me how she creates a collection. Here are some excerpts from our interview-translated from Italian:

“I always have a notebook with me to take notes and to sketch. I look all around me, especially when I travel, to see what people are wearing, the colors, their styles. This gives me ideas for the following season."

“Every year I go to the preview fair in Bologna, to see leather colors, styles of bags and shoes, and I go to Milan to see the fashion shows. After that, I decide what colors would be best as accessories for clothing”.

It was a pleasure to see a young couple working so well together- while Annalisa concentrates on the creative side of the business, which comes so naturally to her, Massimo works on the production side, with lots of work to oversee. Here's Annalisa in her showroom:

There’s more to tell next time!

And here are some photos of Lendinara:

Does One Really Need to Pay $1500 for an Italian Handbag?

Does the label really matter?

At our home, we have been getting the usual fall catalogs in the mail these days (and I thought we were all trying to save trees and save money- what happened to that?) But, never mind the political correctness for a moment- the PRICES of handbags.I just don’t get it.

First of all, yes, I love Italian leather handbags. Italian leather is of superior quality, the workmanship is magnificent; the attention to detail, the comfort, style, and durability is unsurpassed. But one can have all of that without paying a crazy amount of money. I’m not saying it’s ever cheap, and while cheap handbags are fine, you all know what I mean. Are the designers laughing all the way to the bank? And sometimes the bags aren’t even leather!

Let’s talk for a minute about the necessity of having a well-known designer label on a bag. Why does one need it? I’m just posing the question. It gives us prestige,we think it shows our sense of style without having to create our own. Does it tell people that we are wealthy, or happy, or well-adjusted or does it tell the designers that we are willing to pay whatever it takes to validate ourselves and show off to others their labels on our purses, and on watches and jeans?

The designs themselves are stunning. Granted. But often it really is just the name that is generating the high cost. Soft leather handbags can be found online for a quarter of the price- and it gives us the chance to create our own style and look without having to follow the pack.

                                                           

Italian Handbags by Gianni Chiarini-What do they do for us?

We all love our high quality handbags and we all have particular tastes and needs- just like we do with our wallets- shape, feel, additional extra compartments. But let me tell you something- there is nothing like Italian handbags. From design to execution you can’t beat them.

When I carry a Gianni Chiarini bag, from a utilitarian standpoint I’m all set- everything I need is in my bag, I feel confident (I know, it sounds really trite to say that a bag makes me feel confident)- but I never feel that the design nor shape is over the top, nor is it dwarfing the rest of my look.

Serena Italian Imports’ Gianni Chiarini City Collection is a group of Italian handbags, with clean design, crisp lines, and there’s something for everyone, including suede bags. Take the Cortona foldover bag, for example. The shape is simple, it’s easy to open and close, and can be worn in your hand, or else fold it over and attach the accompanying strap for a leather crossbody bag. I’ve mentioned before how I love that look and wear many of my bags that way.

Another personal favorite is the Winter city bag. It zips all the way across, is available in black patent leather or dark brown crocodile embossed leather. Both are stunning and great for the fall.

All Gianni Chiarini bags at Serena Italian Imports are 25% off!

Hope you enjoy this video of our Gianni Chiarini City Collection.