Lady LUX

Growing up in the Italian city of Turin, Cinzia Moniaci felt slightly confined by the her catholic school uniform. Somehow she managed to disobey the nuns without a slap on the wrist, by accessorizing and seeping as much creativity into a not-so-chic wardrobe. The inability to dress but the ability to accessorize gave her an appreciation for handbags, whether it was for carrying her books or a night out in the piazza. As Cinzia grew up, her thirst for individuality never stopped. Starting a rock n’roll band in her teens, she found ways to harden her feminine frocks without getting too many looks. However, it was her move to the U.S. after college that got Cinzia on track for a career in fashion. Freelancing for fashion magazines such as InStyle and GQ, on and off the job she was complemented on her unique European look. After a quick bout in retail and a scholarship for one year at FIDM, Moni Moni was no longer just a childhood nickname but a name synonymous with luxury leather. Cinzia took a moment from her busy day designing handbags and raising her 5-year-old daughter, to chat about her journey from an accessorized teen to handbag designer.

LadyLux: Tell us a little about your catholic school days.
Cinzia Moniaci: I went to an all-girls catholic school that was run by nuns. They wanted us all in uniforms, which I appreciated because it made us all love each other for who we were and not who we were wearing, but at the same time it was very impersonal. It made it difficult to express yourself and show your true colors on a daily basis. I feel fashion is a way to express yourself.

LL: How did it influence you as a designer?
CM: I would come up with clever ways to tie my shoes, wear stockings, replace my button with a diamond button… I got in trouble with the nuns but they liked me because I had good grades. I would smile my way around it (she laughs). It was also a fun way to connect with my classmates and made me understand more about women…and what they love. Of course, the purse that you brought, even if it was just to hold books, was an important part of your outfit.

LL: Is that how you got into handbags? Since it was one of the only ways to personalize your outfit?
CM: I reflect upon it now and I realize how much of my love for handbags came from that. When it came time every year to choose your new bag, I wasn’t one to pick the Barbie backpack. I would go for the nice leather, maybe vintage-looking, postman bag. One time I actually put one of my mother’s antique pins on it. I pinned it right to the really thick leather. That’s where it all began.

LL: Then you started your band?
CM: I had a band since I was a teenager. It was hard to take a really long satchel to band practice…that doesn’t look too rock n’roll does it? However, when I could really do music was when I came here after I finished college and met my husband. Obviously, going to The Viper Room with a little Fendi baguette didn’t quite cut it. So I found ways to make the bags look more rock’n’roll.

LL: So you could say your handbags have followed your life?
CM: Yeah. When I was really little, my father used to own a company that made leather accessories for racing. I guess the idea of going into leather is part of my heritage. He later became the right arm for the owner of Luxottica, an important person in the Italian accessory world, they make sunglasses by Armani, YSL etc. My father was instrumental in building that. So I understood the power of putting a designer signature on an accessory.

LL: What made you do handbags…versus clothing or something else?
CM: I’ve always been a collector of handbags. Also, I was a fashion journalist and interviewing a lot of celebrities when I was corresponding for European magazines. Every time I went to an interview, people would be complementing me on the stuff I was wearing. I said to myself, “You know what, I’m going to start a business importing goods from Italy.” I did that and it was really successful. I opened a showroom in downtown Los Angeles and had a partner that helped me buy in Europe. I would literally go to the Prada and Gucci stores that didn’t sell enough for the year and say, “I’ll buy you out”. Naturally, I had a knack for handbags.

LL: When did you realize you could start a business?
CM: When I would get a shipment in… I’d see the bags and think, “It’s been done before”…”I’ve seen it”… “I feel like everyone is wearing it”. I would always be one step ahead. I thought, “Why not start my own thing?” But I felt like I was lacking design experience. My experience was mostly communications and business. I applied and won a design scholarship from FIDM. Actually, my first project that I wrote up on the blackboard was Moni Moni (she laughs).

LL: What did FIDM think?
CM: My classmates at school told me, “This is going to be successful”. I laughed. I clearly did not take this seriously. I thought it was just a project. Sure enough, two months later, the bag made from my prototype was in Lucky Magazine.

LL: How did you develop the look of Moni Moni?
CM: I think the friendship that I built with my first factory really made a difference. Hand in hand, they helped me realize my vision…how to treat the leather so that each bag was unique, even if it came from the same mold. We hand-sew each bag, tint them in natural tints, dye, wash and dry them. So each bag comes out shrunken in a different way with little imperfections. It makes the bags alive, in my opinion. I always like the history behind the product.

LL: I like the fact that your pieces are staples.
CM: It’s easy to say, “I want to be an early adapter. Let’s be the first to do studs.” The truth is, the woman I am trying to reach isn’t an early adapter. She is someone who is cautious and isn’t going to spend $1500 on a purse. She’d rather make an investment.

LL: What’s your favorite bag right now?
CM: The Cascade. It’s a really unique design and has a meaning for me. I was inspired by an incredible fireworks show in Italy. It was in the center of my hometown. It looked like a waterfall of fire going down in front of me. The stripes were pretty wide. The effect really made think, “I should make a bag with wider fringe.” Fringe has been done but it keeps coming back. A few days later I went down to the factory and found a way to translate it into leather. It is one of the most unique designs that I’ve made.

Right now, Cinzia is preparing for a trip to a “top secret” location near Florence, where her handbags are made on the same machines as many fine Italian brands. She will be working on designs for her Spring 2011 and Fall 2011 collections and has promised LadyLux she’ll keep us in the loop about all her fashion adventures. All her collections are ready to be nabbed on her web site at MoniMoni.com. AND, don’t forget to follow her on twitter @MoniMoniGirl!

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Fashion / Features