Leather fashion house BONIA has always been an interesting juxtaposition.

The brand has always been best known for mixing its fine Italian craftsmanship and traditional shapes, with unusual accents.

However, this has never been more apparent than its Spring/Summer 2018 collection and its theme of East-meets-West. This is evident in the marriage between European sensibilities and exotic Asian colours, represented in pieces that are very much indicative of the brand’s DNA.

Creative Director Pepe Torres said this season’s inspiration was specifically the Silk Road, the famed trading route linking Europe and Asia. The name it said came from the trading of silk in China, which at that point in time had been reserved exclusively for use in the Chinese Imperial court.

However, the route itself criss-crossed a large chunk of the Asian continent traversing Saudi Arabia, India, as well as China. As such, Torres said that he had a wealth of influences to pick from.

“From the West, we took the contemporary, chic shapes. But from Asia, we picked the colour palette, so our mood boards were full of the colour of the sun, the sky and the desert,” he explained.

Beyond just the trading aspect however, the Silk Road was also known to have facilitated both intellectual and cultural exchanges. Many of the cities along the route eventually developed into hubs for learning.

One of the Silk Road’s most notable travelers Torres noted, was famed explorer Marco Polo who brought back with him to Europe, the best of Asia.

“Everyone thinks pasta is 100% Italian. That is not true, pasta is from Asia,” he points out with a smile.

There is also a very clear nod to China in BONIA’s Milione collection of bags, given the use of brightly coloured lacquer flowers as accents, the almost formless shapes that look like splashes of silk, contrasting well with the more conventional lines.

However, Torres said that this time around, he is particularly proud of the mens portion of the collection, comprising shoes in various finishes, sandals and bags with navy-hued camouflage prints.

He said that most customers are often surprised at BONIA’s shoe range, as was he when he first joined.

“We are famous for our bags, not so much for our shoes. But for those who know our shoes, they know that the quality remains at the highest standard,” he said.

Yet he does admit that designing for men is challenging, given the limitations on colour and style, compared to women.

“You can’t go out and just design an orange shoe, but what you can do is pay attention to the piping and the details, so that it stands out,” he said.

However, he emphasised that the main theme running through all the pieces, whether it be for men or women, was the essence of BONIA.

“We want to make sure that all the pieces say BONIA, because we don’t want to be anyone else,” he said.

Above all, Torres said that the most important message that he gives every time to his team is, no orphans.

“Everything must look like a family, like it belongs. So you need to carry throughout various ranges common accents. It is the first thing that I tell them the minute we start creating,” he said.