Hive Interview: Rebecca Ciccio's Fine Arts Approach - Stylehive

Rebecca Ciccio is a San Francisco-based handbag designer who brings an artist's eye to her hand-crafted creations. After making a name for herself designing for the likes of Gap, J. Crew, and Tommy Hilfiger, she finally struck out on her own in September of 2005.

Known for soft-structured styles done in supple leathers and rich colors, her luxury bags can be found in a growing number of trendy boutiques across the country. Ciccio took some time to answer our questions and share some insight into her creative process and more.

Stylehive: You have a background in fine arts, specifically painting. How does this inform your work?

Rebecca Ciccio: I draw from my fine arts background all the time, starting from the initial sketch of a new style, to creating the first muslin sample, to choosing colors and materials for production. Painting is all about choosing your subject matter and making it come to life on canvas with content and color. I love doing the same thing with handbags - it's just a different idea or subject matter that I turn into something tangible.

SH: Do you still paint?

RC: I have not painted in a while as my design career has kept me pretty busy, but I do hope to get back into it one of these days.

SH: What are some of your design influences or inspirations for the collection?

RC: I am really inspired by my materials. I look forward to going to my leather suppliers at the start of a season to look through stacks of supple cowhides, washed lambskin, exotics, and metallics. Once I've chosen my leathers, I consider the hardware that I want to use for the collection, and then I start sketching.

SH: Do you have a favorite bag/color combination from the collection? Why?

RC: My favorite bag at the moment is the Mercer in burnt orange. As soon as I picked it up from my factory I was excited about it. I love a good, classic tote, and this one has the addition of the exterior pockets for a cell phone or keys, and the burnt orange color is such a fresh addition to the collection.

SH: Do you have any favorite blogs and/or online boutiques?

RC: I am a devoted fan of Splendora's Style Forecast - I read it every Friday. I check out many online boutiques, but do most of my shopping at boutique storefronts. I like my shopping experience to be in person so I can feel the materials, see the colors in person, and try things on.


Rebecca Ciccio's Site in the Hive: site/rebeccaciccio.com

Rebecca Ciccio's Website: rebeccaciccio.com