“A bag, a moment in a woman’s life”
Spanish is known as being one of the most romantic languages on the planet, but style mavens also identify Spain as a headquarters of major fashion brands worldwide.
DeChávarri, founded in Madrid in 2022, but born after years of research and driven during the lockdown, this new venture represents the launch of a premium brand of leather goods accessories, created entirely in Spain, which is committed to the creation of unique pieces that combine high quality raw materials, craftsmanship, durability and exclusive and timeless design. This results in high-quality materials and unique designs, which all carry a story behind them.
We sit with Curra and Cristina Chávarri, sisters and founders of the brand, to learn more about the recent launch of De Chávarri.
CityPages Magazine: Have you always been interested in fashion?
Curra Chávarri: Somehow fashion and elegance has always been present in our lives, not only as a way of presenting ourselves to others but also as a way of life. Our mother, an interior architect by profession, has always instilled in us good taste in both form and substance: “class is worn on the outside as well as on the inside”, she used to tell us. At the same time our father fostered in us traditional values but always with the idea of being independent women and educated us with the main goal of being well trained in a dignified profession.
So, we have spent more time studying, training, and working hard in each of our professions than delving into the world of fashion. But it is true, that as women we like to keep up with the latest trends without losing sight of the basis of timeless elegance, which is after all the most practical thing for working women.
In my case for example, I spend long hours of the day dressed in green pajamas, so when I have the opportunity to go out to an event, I don’t have time to investigate for the latest fashion at that time. I use the basics of always, that if, accompanied by some jeweler of my grandmothers or inherited complement, because we really like to remember our grandmothers wearing their memories, certainly is what makes us feel special, those accessories with family history.
As a child I liked, like so many girls, to rummage through my paternal grandmother’s dressing room, and she was very amused to see me with her heels and accessories. My dearest grandmother was a woman who wore the best Spanish fashion designers, (Balenciaga being her favorite…) so we learned for our early ages in our childhood’s games what the most exclusive fashion was. In fact, I must say, my grandmother was like a princess when I saw her appear wonderful with her incredible dark hair that she gathered in a low bun, and her blue eyes, always beautiful, always elegant.
Cristina Chávarri: I preferred to tangle among our great-aunt’s things, rackets and hockey sticks that were authentic relics. An elite sportswoman of the thirties, Pepa Chávarri, as she was called. She was in possession of a privileged physique driven by a brave heart that always pushed her in search of victory, although her fame was due to tennis, her other sports were skiing and hockey, and in both she reached an international level. At the age of 17 in the 1920s and 1930s, she was the champion of a more masculine and casual style of elegance, always with her pegged trousers, impeccable shirts, and moccasins. Pepa was one of the few high society women who, at that time, wore trousers and rode a motorbike and was dedicated to international sport in a city like Madrid. With such a young grandmother, with whom we shared every weekend, it was difficult not to be interested in the world of fashion, even in our childhood.
CPM: How did you get into the industry?
Cristina Chávarri: It was not easy to enter the exclusive world of leather goods manufacturing in Ubrique, a village in the mountains of Cadiz in Spain, the cradle of leather goods manufacturing worldwide for centuries, where the big names in the production of handbags and luxury goods meet.
If you are not Carolina Herrera or Loewe and you show up there with your idea, your designs, coming from a world of syringes and respirators, more than a good laugh and a pat on the back is not usually offered to you. But finally, and after knocking on many doors, we found Laura, heiress of the family business of leather goods manufacturing in Ubrique, who with her fashion design training in Madrid and Milan has accompanied us throughout the creative and manufacturing process from the first sketch to the moment the collection left the factory, the whole process being meticulously supervised by her. Laura has collaborated with the best international designers and brands, working hand to hand with them and living the manufacturing process day by day. She has been our first De Chávarri woman although she prefers to stay away from the media so as not to damage the other brands she collaborates with.
Curra Chávarri: When we met, she told me “Make me believe in your project”,
I knew immediately what kind of woman she was, a determined woman, and very committed, I could see it in her eyes, someone who puts heart into her work and the courage to get involved in a small project, at least humble in its conception, but a project with soul.
I knew I had to give her more than a project, more than sketches and models of bag designs, more than a list of ideas, more than numbers… I knew I had to conquer her soul as a woman, which was not difficult because the connection with her was almost immediate, we both know what moves us and what is worth fighting for. Yes, I would give meaning to the project, and she would give soul to the bags.
CPM: What made you decide to start a brand focused on handbags and leather accessories?
Curra Chávarri: Given the difficulty in finding a work briefcase that was not too masculine and that was practical enough to carry all our personal and work accessories and that was at the same time an elegant bag, we decided to launch ourselves into the study and development of our first “doctor” model to which we added a document holder following the line of practicality without renouncing sophistication. Our first Victoria collection, still in development, represents a woman who works hard without having to give up femininity and elegance, so while our father instilled in us the value of effort and a job well done, our mother told us “Even if one day you’re untidy, if you carry a good bag and a good pair of shoes, you’ll look good” , and it is true, sometimes I go with a ponytail and comfortable sports shoes, but I go out in the street with my black “Doctor” and, in addition to feeling that I carry everything I need for my day, comfortably. It is here when I feel with a very particular and differentiating touch of style and the truth is that I like that feeling.
Cristina Chávarri: Our idea is that each model represents and celebrates all the aspects and moments of a woman’s life, and with this idea in mind we will be launching our collections, soon we will have our backpack for that dynamic and practical woman who does not want to give up the classic, as well as our collection of bags for the summer of 2023 that will represent our more supportive side. Our motto is “a bag, a moment in a woman’s life”.
CPM: Tell us about your debut collection, Victoria, what is the inspiration behind it?
Curra Chávarri: The collection is inspired by the famous Greek sculpture “Winged Victory of Samothrace” which we had the opportunity to see for the first time when we were very young on a trip to Paris. We saw in warm marble the representation of a woman stepping forward with overwhelming firmness and determination, in a brave and defiant attitude towards life, of titanic strength but also of unparalleled sensuality, incredibly delicate and harmonious, with her belly representing the center of her whole universe, representing all women since the beginning of time, I saw in her imposing solitude her wings open, dazzling in an attitude of victory but also of freedom.
Cristina Chávarri: We were told that women could not fly but there was that sculpture proving that yes, women have wings and that we can fly. I knew that that vision would accompany me for the rest of my life and that every woman can be her own winged victory, majestic at the top of a staircase, powerful in her solitude, imposing in her sensuality, victorious in her freedom.
CPM: Can you describe De Chávarri aesthetic and which of your bags would you describe as your “signature”?
Curra Chávarri: I think that De Chávarri’s aesthetic gives a nod to the past, to the classic that always endures, with an Art Deco touch from the 1920s, all adapted to the modern era in which we live. De Chávarri wants to give a nod to the style of the woman of the 1950s, who, today, rushes out into the street to face the challenges of the 21st century.
The flagship bag of the collection is the Doctora maxi work bag-briefcase, because the brand was born with it, and it represents all our values. The “doctor” work bag from the Victoria collection was the brand’s starting point, as it responded to a need, that of carrying a work briefcase without renouncing a woman’s femininity.
CPM: What makes a De Chávarri handbag special?
Cristina Chávarri: Our DeChavarri bags are meticulously designed to meet the expectations of elegance and practicality, handmade in Ubrique, an artisan village in the mountains of Cadiz in Spain, cradle of the best leather craftsmen for centuries where the best national and international leather goods firms meet. The leather is carefully selected according to the highest standards of quality, resistance, and beauty. The brooches of our different models are designed by Angela Segimon, a jewelry designer of great renown in Spain, and are made exclusively in hand-polished brass and bathed in white bronze with gold micron plating, which gives our bags the name of jewel-bag.
CPM: Where are your bags made? The quality looks beautiful.
Curra Chávarri: Thank you very much indeed. Ubrique, the village of leather. Situated at the foot of the spectacular Sierra de Grazalema, between rocks and cork oaks, one of the so-called white villages of the mountains of Cadiz appears: Ubrique. This small Spanish village is par excellence, the best place in the world to manufacture handmade leather goods. One of the basic pillars of De Chávarri is excellence in craftsmanship, and we are undoubtedly very proud to be able to count on the best artisan hands in the world to make our bags. For the people of Ubrique, leather is not a job, it is the life of Ubrique. Almost 80% of its inhabitants work directly or indirectly in the world of leather.
CPM: Where do you seek design inspiration?
Curra Chávarri: We find inspiration in the classics of the 50s adapted to today’s world, in work well done, in the passion for beauty, in women, which is the essence of De Chávarri, because for women, life is a challenge.
CPM: What kind of person has a De Chávarri handbag?
Cristina Chávarri: Our models represent the women who use our bags, for us, they are the models of our bags but also of our values. A woman who embraces all facets of life without giving up any of them, who maintains her essence as a woman, her taste for beauty, and her femininity, which is not at odds with a life of obligations and responsibilities. A strong woman who, no matter how many times she falls, always rises victorious with her wings spread. A woman who allows herself to dream and who fervently fights for her dreams.
CPM: Apart from the handbags and clutches (These are great!), do you have plans to expand your range into other categories?
Curra Chávarri: Thank you very much, it is a real honor that you like them! Absolutely, De Chávarri allows itself to dream and fights to achieve its dream, we are currently in the process of manufacturing our “Doctora” backpack, a totally versatile model that can be used as a handbag, shoulder bag, cross body, and backpack, with a very elaborate interior with compartments for all personal and professional belongings, it will be on sale this Christmas. We will also develop the mini doctor.
In the same way we are already thinking about the spring summer season 2023, with incredible and functional baskets made in Ecuador and Morocco and decorated inside with African fabrics brought from my trips to Cameroon.
Cristina Chávarri: DeChavarri’s dream is to grow in an endless number of models of handbags, wallets, adapted to all the situations of a woman’s life, ranging from the most sophisticated evening bag to the university student’s handbag, a Satchel that we are already designing to a summer raffia bag, without forgetting our more solidary side. Our motto is “for the woman who walks and dreams”.
CPM: Your first campaign features many professional women. Why did you choose them? Who are they?
Curra Chávarri: We didn’t want the beauty of the object to prevail, only the beauty of the models, we wanted to give life to our brand with real women, we believed that they would represent what is behind the bag, the effort, the courage, the passion. We had to give a message, not only that we were designing and making handbags, but that we were doing it to give value to the world of women in all facets of their lives. They are women from our environment, from very different professions and occupations and we continue to count on future women for the next launches, it is the most beautiful and fun thing about the brand, it is so easy to find extraordinary women, because every woman has something extraordinary about her. Over time we would like to create an ever-wider community of women where we all share the same passions, no matter how different our lives, our occupations, languages or countries, where we all have a place to show our talents and share our concerns and why not, a guide for young women.
CPM: Are you working on any special new projects?
Curra Chávarri: Personally, I continue to train myself to provide my patients with anesthetic quality based on excellence, looking after their lives in the operating theatre and taking care of the smallest details of post-operative comfort, while I continue with my charity trips. Cristina is the manager of a clinic, to which she devotes most of her time alongside her work at De Chávarri.
Cristina Chávarri: We don’t rule out starting a line of footwear in the future, given the close relationship I have with orthopaedical foot surgeons. It would be very interesting to create the “most comfortable shoe in the world without losing elegance” … we are already working on different lasts carefully designed by foot surgeons and specialists adapted to the different pathologies and ailments of the clients …. But, the future will say.
