If you spent any time scrolling through Instagram last summer, chances are you were tempted to buy a basket bag. Woven top-handle bags and bamboo clutches were everywhere, as if the spirit of Jane Birkin had descended into the wardrobes of millennial influencers more than ever before. Indeed, the summer basket bag has always been a favorite accessory of French women and those who want to dress like them, but its popularity definitely increased in 2017. Now, as we slowly approach the warmer months, a new brand of handmade bags has emerged that promises to be one of the most intriguing basket bags of 2018.
Montserrat Alvarez founded Heimat Atlantica in 2016 after completing a dissertation at the Sorbonne University on the role of architecture in creating the identity of luxury fashion brands and working as a design studio and museum director in Paris. “I’m still a newbie in the fashion world,” she admits. For Alvarez, Heimat Atlantica is an experiment in bringing together different cultures, crafts, and design aesthetics to create something unique. Each of the collection’s vibrant cane bags is handcrafted by female artisans in Portugal and embellished with porcelain charms, also handcrafted in Alvarez’s hometown of Galicia, Spain. The bag’s leather lining is sourced from Ubrique, Spain, but all assembly is done in workshops in Galicia. Only 500 of each bag are being made, and she currently sells them at The Webster, MatchesFashion.com, Le Bon Marché, Dover Street Market Tokyo, and Barneys New York.
Alvarez now lives in Paris, where she met Laura Hériard Dubreuil of The Webster, who wore Alvarez’s shell bag during fashion week, bringing her fashion accessories to fame. Alvarez has big dreams for her small label. “Heimat Atlantica was created with the aim of protecting, highlighting and valorizing the artisans of the Atlantic coast, working closely with them and helping them create truly profitable businesses.” She adds: “For me, this is more than just creating a brand. It’s a project about entrepreneurship itself, to understand the intrinsic connection between culture and business plans.”
The skill of women artisans in basket weaving is considered an ancient tradition in Portugal. The craft was originally used to make reed baskets that helped local fishermen and farmers transport their goods. The process begins with carefully selecting the reeds that grow along the water. They are then dried in the open air and treated with burning sulfur. Then dye is applied and the reeds are woven using a hand loom to create a variety of intricate patterns. As for the porcelain amulets, Alvarez said they are magical. “The Salgaderos amulets are based on ancient fables and myths from Spain. For example, the lover’s amulet is meant to help you find and protect your love, while the hand amulet is meant to protect your money.” She adds: “I also believe that each amulet represents a powerful human trait, whether it’s happiness, honor or love. Whether you believe in magic or not, whether you are Galician or not, the amulets – and the bag itself – have universal meaning.”
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