It's no wonder why Florence is one of the most romanticized spots in Europe, and in the entire world. I first visited here during February of 2019, and have returned two more times since. I feel that I could visit Florence a thousand times and still not see it all, though it is a very small town. It has such a medieval feel to it with a very artistic flare. When I think of Florence, I hear live performers on the street, the gorgeous Italian accents echoing through narrow roadways, leather shops on every street corner, and beautiful architecture towering over me.
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Above: The stunning Florence skyline from the steps of Piazzale Michelangelo.
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Below: The infamous duomo of Florence.
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Above: View from the Ponte Vecchio.
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Below: Taken from near the Uffizi gallery with the Ponte Vecchio behind us.
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The photo above was taken at the Florence Leather Market. This was one of the first times that I started to seriously think about the possibilities of starting a handbag company. Every single piece being sold here was handmade and stunning, and the smell of the leather was hypnotizing. I first visited this market in February of 2019, and spent the remaining four months of my time in Italy learning about the industry and gathering design inspirations throughout the country.
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Below is a photo that I took inside the Gucci Garden pop up in the heart of Florence. This was one of the most eye opening experiences for me in seeing the cultural effects of this iconic Florentine brand. They had drawings of handbag designs and vintage designs dating all the way back to the inception of the brand in 1921. We walked through the different eras created by each creative director throughout the years. I gathered so much inspiration from this experience and am so happy to have stumbled upon this place.
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The food...
One of the absolute best parts of Florence is the FOOD. They have heart shaped pizza at Pizza Napoli, which in my opinion, is the best pizza in Florence. Stop by La Buchetta after a sunset at the steps of Piazzale Michelangelo for some amazing gnocchi and steak. Ahh.. the things I would do for some pasta and wine in this amazing city.
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& last but not least, the Boboli Gardens.
In January of 2020, my dad and I went to Italy to pick up my first official order of Vogelle purses. Once I had finished the prototyping process in November of 2019, I placed an order for the shoulder bag I had designed in black, camel, and white, and this became the original collection. My dad and I flew into Milan, picked up the bags, and then road tripped through Florence and Tuscany to shoot the collection and have an amazing little trip. There will be a whole post dedicated to that trip soon! Below are some photos of the original collection in Florence which can be seen scattered throughout the Vogelle Instagram feed as well. I wanted to shoot the bags in Florence and Milan, as Florence was where my handbag idea and path originated, and Milan is where a lot of my design inspiration came from, and of course, is where the bags are made.
Enjoy!
xx.
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