Maya Fuhr X Sonya Lee: The Accessory Revolution
What was the inspiration behind this new collection and this what drove the direction of the shoot for it?
Stephanie Ibbitson — For this collection I wanted to keep our new lifestyle in mind. I think a lot of people are under a differet budget but we still want to feel powerful and special, and even though all we're doing is going out to get groceries. It makes that little bit of difference when you feel like you’re together. I think a lot of people this year are suffering, I know it’s been hard for me not seeing my family in well over a year and I think having a nice accessory is almost like reminiscing on the past. A lot of pieces in the collection were inspired by my early days in high school. You know seeing a girl with the little Louis purse or the le sport sack girls would rock in the early aughts. That’s where a lot of the sillouets came from. Think Jawbreaker, Clueless, my own high school days. It's so important for me to feel strong powerful and dominant. The shoot on the otherhand was all Maya, I literally sent the bags to her and was like this is our color pallet, the rest is up to you.
Maya, how did you come up w the concept?
Maya Fuhr — The collection feels so nostalgic to me. I took those photos a few weeks after moving to LA from Toronto, so I was new and not very busy with other shoots. When I began to work on the concept, I had so much time and was so relaxed. Driving around, taking in LA, shopping for funky fabric, or perusing the grocery store, and realizing that the colors of one of the buildings, vintages dresses, or display cakes looked like a chain or silhouette of one of the purses. I was really present, which made the process and shoot so fun and easy. I knew what bag would go with what prop and how I was going to style them. Everything just flowed once I got started working.
The new red bags are amazing, what’s the story with those?
MF — Oh yeah that’s the one I got, the cherry red!
SI — Yeah, that's actually an exciting material because it turns a different color when it bends or scratches. This is because the oils are being removed from the top of the hide. To return the leather to its natural color, all you have to do is work it with your hands and bring the oils back to the top. Most of my bags are not made from traditional handbag material, with the red purse that leather was used initially for men's boots. I had someone come in who worked for John Fleuvog, and he asked why I was using this material for handbags, and I said, 'I don't care what you think about the material. Women need the same durability as men in our accessories, so why not use those materials and make it something stylish and fun!'
MF — I really drew on the sturdiness of the bags for the shoot. Using the clay and decorative cinder blocks in juxtaposition with the soft look of the bags knowing that they are meant to be used, really inspired me. The different textures, colors, and durability of the bags next to the clay, vases, and cinderblocks tell such an interesting story.
With all of that being said, how do you each approach your work?
SI — I use very nontraditional approaches for my work. I taught myself how to sew, I taught myself how to make bags, and I think that also allowed me not to feel like I need to stay in one box in terms of how to make bags. I made the kind of purses and accessories I wish I had access to growing up.
MF — I agree. I’m self-taught, and with all of my art, whether it be photography, sculpture, anything, I like to take the ordinary ideas of what people think should be used and should be done and throw that out the window.
That shows through in the photos. The mixture of textures and materials all came together to create fantastic imagery.
SI — I feel like this whole process was very simpatico. Maya and I didn’t have much contact over this shoot, but I feel like how I approach creating my bags and how she approaches taking photos hits a flow state together very quickly.
MF — I feel like we have both made a living off of being ourselves and being confident in that, which, especially now, draws people in. It’s the power of believing in yourself and what you can do. Using the clay and decorative cinder blocks in juxtaposition with the soft look of the bags knowing that they are meant to be used, not just posed with, really inspired me. The different textures and colors of the bags and the clay, the materials all tell the same story.
Shop the new Sonya Lee collection here.
