Carla Braccialini, the designer and founder of the handbag and accessories company bearing her name, died in Florence at the age of 95. She died on Tuesday, according to the source report.
In the 1950s, she and her husband, Roberto, established a small handbag-making business that later became internationally known. Braccialini developed colourful designs featuring playful details such as flowers, animals and houses. The label grew through its own collections and partnerships, including a 1986 licensing agreement with Vivienne Westwood to produce accessories.
After her husband died in the 1970s, Braccialini continued to oversee the company with their three sons, Riccardo, Massimo and Lorenzo. Her life and career were recounted in the biography “La ragazza che non sapeva fare le borse” (“The Girl Who Didn’t Know How to Make Bags”), which describes her journey from childhood in Tuscany to becoming an entrepreneur without formal technical training in fashion.
In 2009, then-President of Italy Giorgio Napolitano named her a Knight of Labour. The Braccialini brand continues under Graziella Holding, which acquired it in April 2017.
Sources: Il Sole 24 Ore Italia.