Carry me Of all the fashion accessories at present—Ray-Ban sunglasses, Pucci scarves, Eisenberg cocktail rings—none are more dazzling than Lucite handbags. Lucite handbags become high class and celebrity’s n nouveau chic of evening bag of choice as long as they are launched to the public. As one of the most well-known original Lucite designers, Will Hardy will share his experiences of designing and manufacturing with us today.
1.
2.
When did you start designing
"Will," was the artist, designer,
particular size needed for the
bags?
a great motivator and a man
purse, then heated in an oven
I began to work for my
who is obsessed with unusual
until it was flexible. The piece
family in 1946 as Handbag
social grace.
was wrapped and clamped
Specialties. It is a family business
between
my
around a wooden form until it
3.
Do
you
have
a
certain
cooled.
After
cooling,
the
grandfather, and my father.
process when working on
piece would maintain its new
My grandfather, who everyone
the collections?
shape indefinitely.
called "Bill," was a genius in
I inherit my father's concept
mathematics
of "summer camp". Briefly, the
and
a
"hard
business man." My father,
plastic
was
cut
to
the
4.
Describe your techniques. The bags from WILARDY are
indestructible bags, a bag as
handbag. This spawned the
tough as a car, to last forever. Molded
and
idea of using Lucite as a
hand-welded,
decorations
of
accessories
(rhinestone,
mother-of-pearl
and jewelry) are designed for starlets and society dames.
9.
How do you feel about the bag industry at the moment and how do you think it is going to develop in the future?
This market grows to develop continually
medium (rather than plastic) manufacturing Lucite bags are costly,
so
the
plastics and heavy lids. Later,
handbags.
product is expensive.
5.
quality
bags consisting of very thick
to create these sculpture-like
resulting
higher
manufacturers also serves the
What is it about your bags you are best known for?
7.
materials
lower-end
and
that could be afforded by
but this type of material is
purse. The customers who
teenagers at the local five and
costly and needs a lot of
love our bags are the actresses
dime.
process to finish. So I am
and ladies of the high society.
considering producing vinyl,
It is made not just to carry it
which
but to show it and be admired.
is
easier
and
by
lighter, more fragile plastics
We use hard plastic very often,
box-
market
providing handbags made of
fabrications do you use?
Our most expensive bags are probably the jewelry
What
less
10.
Do you have any thoughts on the other bags?
expensive to work with.
Our bags are famous for the unique design, the choice of
We also use basket-weave
I am considering launching the
colour
fabric to make more option
clear bags. Women can put a
shapes
and
the
such
geometric
as
squares,
for customers.
rectangles or circles.
8. 6.
Do you have a signature
What inspires you and where
type
do you find inspiration? Is
design in your collection?
there a
Our bags are extravagant yet
theme
that
runs
that
you
always
through each bag collection?
durable designs. We produce
My
a
first
inspiration
was
series
of
sleek,
tough
placing two handles on a
Lucite bags of which the
jewelry box and looking at it
brightest star is undoubtedly
as
if
the
capsule-
it
shaped
Rocket.
was
The
sensual
a
curves, glossy and
rich, colours lavish
scarf inside their clear bags,
and then put their stuff inside
the scarf. They change their scarf to match their outfit.