#FiorelliTravels: Postcards From Budapest

To celebrate our Mia grab in black cut out coming back into stock, we thought it’d be the perfect time to share some more of our #FiorelliTravels with you. In early autumn our Graphic Designer Heather hit Budapest for a long weekend of sightseeing with the Mia. Read on for a sneak peek at her holiday snaps! 

Budapest is the biggest city in Hungary as it combines the two former cities Buda on the west bank and Pest on the East. Joined by the river Danube, it’s a melting pot of beautiful sights with its numerous grand palaces and natural beauty, which makes a great holiday any time of the year. 

Plus for those of you who need to get your shopping fix, there are plenty of boutiques scattered throughout its centre. Well, it’s always nice to visit a new country and bring back a souvenir in the form of new clothing. 

It’s easy to stroll around Budapest for hours, and we decided to climb the grand Gellért Hill to visit its Liberty Statue, and most importantly to look down at the cityscape and ensure that we captured some lovely holiday snaps. 

As the temperature drops, our just-gone summer wardrobe now feels like a dream but we hope that you've enjoyed seeing how we styled the Mia grab upon our travels. The black cut out is a style that easily transcends the seasons and would make a great addition to your winter wardrobes too. Team with a chunky knit and statement boots for an easy winter look.  

Our iPhones were almost never out of camera mode as we were spoilt for choice with the city’s varying architecture. One of our favourites was the Parliament building, the biggest of its style in Budapest and the best for taking great holiday snaps! 

Where have you been taking your Fiorelli bags this year? We’d love to see your #FiorelliTravels, so why not tag your stylish snaps @Fiorelli_Bags on Twitter or Instagram? 

Sneak Peek: Fiorelli S/S '15

Today, we're giving you a sneak peek behind the scenes at our Spring/Summer '15 shoot. It may seem very early but with the design process taking place over a year in advance of a collection launch, we're busy planning upcoming seasons trends and getting all of our product shots ready for our Lookbooks and the Press.

We had a beautiful modern location in Kent, spectacular inside and out. As soon as we set our eyes on this fabulous location - we knew it was perfect. 

The day started early with wardrobe planning, organising different outfits and make up looks for each bag we were shooting. We certainly enjoyed being around all of the fabulous pieces! 

As the sun was shining it was a great opportunity for some outdoor shots, with an unusual mix of natural scenery and this industrial tower as a real contrast. Our photographer was shooting away whilst some of the Fiorelli team helped with improving lighting - including our very own Head Designer Lisa!

It was such a fabulous day, and we're very excited to show you all the collection next year. In the mean time, here's a little preview of what's to come with some detailed shots of the Spring/Summer '15 range:

For more sneak peeks, follow our Twitter and Instagram profiles, where we share live news and behind the scenes images. What trends do you think will be big for Spring/Summer 15? And what type of bags would you like to see in the collection? Let us know by leaving a comment below!

Bank Holiday Beauty

The Easter bank holiday is almost upon us and what better time to relax and pamper yourself! Here at Fiorelli HQ, we have several beauty favourites we wanted to share with you for the weekend ahead!

Body
Start your Bank Holiday with a long, hot bath to unwind from the week and feel refreshed for the weekend ahead with Shiffa's 1001 Roses Luxury Milk Bath: this 100% organic bath milk contains the most luxurious ingredients: Rosa Centifolia and Rosa Damask, vitamin-rich aloe vera, mineral-rich sea salt, natural clays and jasmine for ultimate peace and tranquillity.

Nails
Get Spring ready, with Easter pastels and brights on your fingers and toes as seen at Burberry Prorsum, Fausto Puglisi, Gareth Pugh and Just Cavalli. 

Hair
Here at Fiorelli HQ, we've been practising our hair braiding skills for Spring inspired by the catwalks at Rebecca Minkoff and Giles. On second day hair, texturise with some mousse and create a plait to suit your natural style, whether it's braids pinned up or a long loose side fishtail, make the style your own for the weekend.

Make Up
We've been keeping make up light for Spring, with a simple dusting of blusher or bronzer and light dusting of pastel eyeshadow and lipgloss applied to the lower lip.

Keep your Spring make up at hand in one of our stylish clutch bags like our Dixie in Summer Mix with Raffia detailing for perfect Spring/Summer style.

How will you be pampering yourself this Bank Holiday weekend? Let us know by leaving a comment below, or via Facebook or Twitter. 

#AskFiorelli's first ever Twitter Q&A with Head Designer Lisa!

“Fiorelli literally means little flower, it's about making women feel special and confident”

This week we held our very first Twitter Q&A, #AskFiorelli , with our Head Designer, Lisa.

We opened up our design studio doors, whilst shooting our SS14 collection, to answer all your questions about working in the industry, the latest trends, inspiration and design philosophy behind Fiorelli products and the Fiorelli brand story.

As the top creative mind at Fiorelli, Lisa has been with Fiorelli with 15 years, travelling to the world’s fashion capitals for inspiration to ensure we produce a stunning collection of must-have, on trend handbags, that you love each season.

If you missed our Q&A, don’t panic, we have a summary below. Keep an eye out for our next Fiorelli Q&A where we will be covering our AW13 range #AskFiorelli. 

@RachelFarshi: What was your inspiration behind the SS13 collection?

Our SS14 collection is a strong mix; with monochrome playing a huge role with clean & function.

@KatieFinger1: Happy birthday @Fiorelli_Bags!! What's your favourite bag from all the designs ever made?

I love the Electra East/West grab bag. I got really excited about our lizard print drawstring bag 5 years ago!

@SusannahMaze: Would you ever team up with a Celebrity for a new range?

This is definitely something I'd love to do. I love Sienna Miller, she has understated British style.

@Tashnineberg: What is your must have accessory this summer?

Would be the Harper bag & Deva bag from our SS14 range. They're great bags, bold in colour for day & evening style.

@TheResourceList: Love the story about a Fiorelli bag lasting 7 years lost in a bush! Durable quality VS quick trends - your thoughts?

We ensure that there is durability in the core design of the bags and add colours and prints to stay on-trend.

@TollDollyPosh: Would you ever collaborate with an emerging designer and create a range?

I'd love to work with an emerging print designer like Jonathan Saunders. I love his signature ombre dot print!

@TollyDollyPosh: If you had to choose a bag which had ‘you’ in it, which would it be?

It would be our everyday Hobo bags. I love their shape and ease for every day style.

@SocialBeautify: Which bag is the most iconic design that is modified and released in different variations season after season?

The Lucinda bag is our best seller. For SS14 the Harper will be the new iconic bag.

@TollyDollyPosh: what inspires you most when you design a new bag?

My starting points is always colour and materials - this then tends to pull together the design.

@Fiona149Turner: What are the bag trends for the coming season?

For AW13 we're looking at wide shoppers and bowling bags in moody colours like violet, teal and red.

@SocialBeautify: Who would you say is a Fiorelli woman? Who do you have in mind when designing a new collection?

She wants an everyday bag that makes her feel good. I'm inspired by all the ladies I see toting Fiorelli bags.

@TollyDollyPosh: Do you have a target for what you are trying to put across? What is the meaning of Fiorelli Bags?

Fiorelli literally means little flower, it's about making women feel special and confident.

@TollyDollyPosh: What made you want to do fashion? What inspired you? Why did you think it would be a good idea?

My dad's an artist so I grew up with design. At art college I saw fashion & textiles as the direction for me.

@TheFashionNetUK: Whats the best piece of advice you've been given that you would pass on to aspiring designers?

Be prepared to work hard and don't be afraid to be yourself, let your true colours show.

@TollyDollyPosh: What would make a designer stand out for you?

I think the main qualities to look for in an emerging designer are an eye for detail & bags of enthusiasm.

@Pink_syd: Do you have a favourite season to design for?

I love designing for winter so you can play more with metallics, faux fur and faux animal skins.

@Iamnrc: What’s the best way to store handbags?

Keep them in a storage box away from light to avoid discolouration. It's good to keep them stuffed to keep their shape.

Update your wardrobe in the Summer Sale

With the sunshine finally out there’s no better time to revamp your wardrobe with summer style and we’ve just launched our Summer Sale with up to 50% off. 

From classic shapes that you’ll wear all season long like our Clara May bag in Tan (was £49 now £25) to our heart shaped Knightsbridge cross body bag (was £25 now £12.50) for ultimate summer style, we’ve got every outfit covered.

These offers are available exclusively online here so make sure you’re a savvy shopper and get your hands on your favourite handbags at a great price before they go.

It’s never too late to tap into seasonal trends and we’ve got some great fashion buys in the sale. The Marion cross body bag (was £35 now £17.50) is one of our favourites for monochrome colour contrasts. Say it all with your bag; the oversized zips and unique opening give it a unique twist so that your style stands out. If you’re looking to go bold this summer then try colour blocking with our Marion bag in Orange. 

For a style that works just as well in the office as it does for weekend picnics, the Sophie satchel (was £49 now £24.50) won’t leave your side this summer. Available in three different colours, Watermelon is our top choice for wearing with summer’s lighter pastel shades. 

Have your eye on another style? There are plenty more in our sale so make sure you visit the website to treat yourself to a summer style injection. Happy shopping!