Celebrating 30 Years of ANTEPRIMA with the Twist Wirebag
It’s been less than a month since I left my corporate role, and I’m so overjoyed to tell you about the latest launch from ANTEPRIMA to celebrate its 30th anniversary.
Founded and creatively directed by Izumi Ogino, ANTEPRIMA is the Japanese fashion brand renowned for encapsulating sophistication and elegance. With precise attention to detail, ANTEPRIMA consistently delivers collections that harmonise tradition and innovation.
Inspired by Izumi’s life experiences, the brand combines Japanese techniques with modern materials and design to create inherently minimalist collections with a pop of personality and feminism. ANTEPRIMA’s distinct aesthetic prowess has earned them a dedicated global following, making it a quintessentially Japanese brand with a worldwide presence.
ANTEPRIMA is best known for its iconic wire bags made from an exclusive wire mesh handwoven with craftsmanship techniques from Italy. Over the years, the collection has expanded from the OG tote bag to the Luchetto clutch and the Teardrop mini crossbody. I have the standard tote bag in classic gold, and as much as I’m still very much in love with it, I honestly cannot get enough of the iridescent, glittery colours released every season!
ANTEPRIMA marks its third decade with the new Twist bag, a unique geometric silhouette with – quite literally – a twist. Inspired by the seven elements of art and sculptural forms, the bag sits like origami on a flat surface but adapts to its content when carried around, the elastic stretch of the wire cords offering a soft drape. The Twist bag comes in ANTEPRIMA’s classic metallic shades and neutral mattes like this gorgeous camel colour. While the Twist bag can be carried crossbody, I particularly liked it slung over one shoulder as it makes the unusual shape and colour of the bag pop depending on the top you’re wearing.
For the outfit, I opted for the classic black and brown to draw out the colour of the bag. I instantly gravitated towards the shirt in a sea of fluttering fabrics and intricate textures because I could see myself wearing it with many bottoms throughout the seasons. The short-sleeved black shirt is a lightweight technical fabric, perfect for Hong Kong’s blistering summers. While I generally tuck my tops in, I left this one open because its clean, neat silhouette and subtle darting allow it to puff beautifully around the torso. For non-black wearers, another similar shirt from their latest collection has a more prominent “A” emblem embroidery on a chest pocket, with natural vegetable dyes rendering it in camel, navy blue and a tender pistachio green.
My love for straight-leg pants has yet to wane, and these feel like chambray linen, which is one of my favourite fabrics for this weather. To keep the outfit from feeling too stuffy, I opted for strappy diamante sandals to show a bit of skin and draw the eye downwards. It’s a quintessential example of outfit sandwiching, with my shades and sandals echoing the black shirt. The tones go beautifully with the bag, though I imagine colour combinations like navy and white would also inject some crispness into the outfit.
Fundamental pieces don’t have to be boring, and ANTEPRIMA is one of the absolute best at low-key, luxe pieces that exude inner strength and confidence through contemporary silhouettes. A perfect marriage between an air of Italian gracefulness and Japanese aesthetics. If you’d like to check out ANTEPRIMA’s collections outside of Japan, they have boutiques around Hong Kong, Thailand, Italy and the US. Alternatively, you can find their wirebags sold exclusively online on their official shop.
Wearing:
Bag | ANTEPRIMA WIREBAG Twist Bag in cammello opaco (c/o)
Shirt | ANTEPRIMA (c/o)
Trousers | ANTEPRIMA (c/o)
Sunglasses | GENTLE MONSTER
Sandals | Zara
Photos by Justin.
The pieces featured in these images are kind PR products/gifts from the ANTEPRIMA team without obligation to share them on my blog.
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