Handicraft Meets High Modern
Growing up in Nigeria, handbag and shoe designer Onna Ehrlich was exposed to a vibrantly hued aesthetic rich in intricate craftsmanship. “I have photographs from my childhood that I look at, and you see women wearing these incredibly bright and beautiful headgear pieces,” she says. “It’s just stunning, like nothing else.” So when Ehrlich launched her line two years ago, the colors and textures of her native country were a wellspring of inspiration.
But there’s more to the mix. This is the age of cultural cross-pollination, and Ehrlich also is the daughter of architect Steven Ehrlich, whose California modernist ethos shines in designs such as the 700 Palms Residence in Venice. She joined the fashion biz after graduating from Pasadena’s Art Center College of Design (she moved to Los Angeles from Lagos, Nigeria, in 1997). After short stints in the entertainment industry and at her father’s firm, she decided that she couldn’t keep her love of accessories at bay.
Bold echoes of Africa such as lime-green leather and raw burlap rule in Ehrlich’s collection. One of her most popular pieces, a burlap tote with turtle-shell handles, features damask silk trim, which is often used in Nigerian headgear. The intricate beadwork on her kitten-heel shoes was inspired by patterns she saw as a girl at African marketplaces. New for spring are saddle-shaped bags, which owe much to Kenya’s Masai warriors and the saddles they draped over their shoulders. “These African touches are nostalgic for me, just little reminders of home,” Ehrlich says.
As for Ehrlich’s modernist heritage, her pieces also recall the cool, spare lines of her father’s aesthetic. Her streamlined clutch, with its gently curving silhouette, is a dead giveaway. “I love African design, but sometimes I felt it was busy,” Ehrlich says. “I think there’s a middle ground somewhere and that’s what I strive for, combining that clean, contemporary look with the richness of Africa.”Onna Ehrlich is available at www.onnaehrlich.com, and at Pamela Barish, 1327 1/2 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice, (310) 314-4490.
