Miriam’s Collection creates beautifully unique bags, that are known as “love letters”. Founded last year, the collection has connected people around the world and the bags represent a gift from one person to another. Every bag takes inspiration from a different place, using one-off discarded materials collected from travels around the world. We had the pleasure of interviewing its founder, Miriam Ponce, to learn more about how the brand strives towards sustainability and creativity.
Image courtesy of Nicolas DEMARE from Nidimages
Where do you source materials from?
I love walking the streets of the city where I live or visit. I come across ateliers where they work with fabric. Some of them do not know what to do with the remains of the new fabrics that they use and I free them from those pieces. Then, I select the qualitative ones such as merino wools from Austria, shetland wools from Scotland, patterns signed by French and British designers, colourful themes from Spain, embroidered tulles from France & Germany, upholstery textiles from Denmark. Finally, I use the selected pieces by applying them to my bags according to my inspiration. It happens to me also to inherit some garments made of precious silks or ethnic prints that I can up-cycle and apply to my bags.
What does sustainability mean to you?
Sustainability means balance and respect to me. I believe that the term sustainability can be applied to the economic cycle as well as to life in general, including the relations with nature, oneself and others. I think that it is about awakening to include balance in the giving and taking, in order to avoid erosion and destruction.
Image courtesy of Nicolas DEMARE from Nidimages
Where did the idea of love letters come from?
I conceived my Bags as a tool-gift that vehicles care and appreciation (for oneself or another) in the shape of a fashion accessory. Each Bag is unique because its creative process is designed according to the available material and the inspiration of that specific material, colour, touch and more. All of my Bags share a shape without angles and a light weight that can be posted inside of a big envelope. They are like “wings” or an extra space full of light on your shoulder or across your back, that the person wears in a personal and creative way adding light to the outfit. Putting a, b, c, d together the word “epistle” (that is a message of love) came to my mind and I named them Love Letters.
How is each love letter unique?
The fabrics I use are usually small pieces that only last for one bag. In the case that the piece is big enough for creating more than 1 bag, each bag will be still unique because will have a different materials combination & design for each part (recto, verso, top, inside). Therefore, each bag is handmade and unique.
Each inspiration results in a Bag that will have its own name and story.
Each Bag will include a short note that links it to the receiver, giving space for the connectivity sender-receiver to operate beyond the product itself.
The receiver will find their own way to wear it (one side to the other, on shoulder, hips, back, in a classic matching combination or disruptively to their outfit).
To shop from Miriam’s Collection, visit their website.
Image courtesy of Nicolas DEMARE from Nidimages
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