It all started with Daniella's illustration archive, which was rediscovered when we searched for old materials in Daniella's handwriting for "Migratory Birds," our successful annual vintage bag project.
The archive includes Daniella's organized folders for each bag she designed, and in each folder were illustrations she drew herself and other details related to the design and illustration of each bag.
The illustrations we found sparked excitement in the studio. Unlike typical fashion illustrations, Daniella's were stirring in their delicacy, and we found in them something that captured the DNA of her design line: traces of handwork, emphasis on stitching, and an insistence on making something that connects fashion, functionality, and usability— which were so important to her.
The illustrations were abundant with striations—evidence of where she wished to denote the stitching of the leather and the joints where panels would connect to panels. We created a new graphic language from these striations that adorns the new bags and some of our marketing materials. It is connected to our desire to strengthen the contemporary brand with Daniella's DNA and the values she sought to promote.
"Fashion illustrations usually have a very specific character, very connected to the fashion world and trends," says Ori Levi, CEO and Chief Designer at Daniella Levi. "When we saw Daniella's illustrations, there was something a bit different about them: a connection to craftsmanship, to handwork, to craft - all the things that are an integral part of our brand and the values that Daniella herself founded here and that we follow in her footsteps. We saw these little hooks and knew it was a graphic element worth reviving - to give it a contemporary interpretation alongside its timeless character: connection to material, handwriting, and art."
This connection is also part of a broader trend in the fashion world, especially in the material design world, particularly in the technology and digital-rich world we are all surrounded by. "Traces of handwriting, stitching, the work on each item done by human hands and of course the knowledge and craft found in human capital - all these stand opposite the world that is excited today by AI and super digital design," continues Lehavi.
"We, as a company of bags and shoes, focus first and foremost on the material world, on the usability of our things, and our connection to art and design in everyday life, and therefore, this new graphic language captures our 'credo' primarily now. We are a brand of people for people, and the stitching, lines, and handwriting is part of our uniqueness and the reason we get up in the morning."
