A Jean-Charles de Castelbajac white leather handbag from the Spring/Summer 2013 Esmeraldorado collection, made from the collection’s signature blue-and-white woven jacquard. Esmeraldorado imagined a meeting between the futuristic modernism of Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, tropical vegetation and Castelbajac’s playful visual universe.
Rather than being printed, the motif is woven directly into the textile. It depicts a stylized female figure surrounded by architectural elements reminiscent of modernist cityscapes. A strict geometric grid structures the composition like a drawing or city plan, while circular and botanical forms create a contrast between nature and architecture.
The woman is not presented as a conventional portrait, but as a muse-like figure within the imagined world of Esmeraldorado. The collection’s title itself plays on Esmeralda and El Dorado, the mythical city of gold. The design is a perfect example of Castelbajac’s characteristic fusion of illustration, Pop Art, architecture and graphic storytelling.
Apart from some wear to the black coating on the hardware, the bag is in wonderful vintage condition.