Oversized LOOK AT ME Bag by Onen Surono, $710
Born in the island of Papua in Indonesia, Nenny Surono, better known by her nickname Onen, has always admired the beauty of her natural surroundings. Early on, her parents recognized her artistic abilities and enrolled her in one form of art class or another.
Fast forward to her college years and the art classes stopped when Nenny was unable to go to Art College. Reluctantly, she followed her parent’s advise to enter Law School. From there, she went to Switzerland for a post-graduate degree in management. Europe re-awakened her interest in the arts.
Following Europe in her pursuit of continuing education is the United States where she traveled extensively and became acutely aware of how people dressed and accessorized. This stirred up artful memories of her hometown and eventually she listened to the call to go back home and create art.
In 2002, Nenny returned to Indonesia where she now has a studio producing collections for her label ‘Onen Surono’. Her lines include jewelry, bags, shoes, accessories, and tees. Her studio does not mass produce as she values the quality and exclusivity of the pieces she designs.
We received the oversized LOOK AT ME bag from Onen Surono’s Fall/Winter 2008 Bag Collection. The exterior is made of snakeskin leather and the interior lining is suede goat leather. It retails for $710 and includes a signature black dust bag.
This is a portfolio bag that measures 24” x 16” x 4”. Bar none, this is the chic-est and hippest portfolio case I have ever come across. The salt and pepper coloration of the snakeskin in combination with a tinge of orange is a fabulous fusion. It’s actually quite interesting that art cases out there are so plain and boring, being that they are used by creative professionals. You’d think there would be loads of funky portfolio bags available in the market, but not so.
If you’ve been looking for a stylish alternative to your boring black, brown, or gray leather portfolio bag, your search has just ended. You will not find anything remotely fashionable out there, I know because I've looked.
If you’re a newbie artsy professional in pursuit of your dreams, you definitely need a bag like this in your arsenal. Imagine walking into an interview toting this snakeskin bag and pulling your work out of it. Quite an impact you’d make that’ll leave a lasting impression, I dare say. Of course, you will need to dress the part as well. A couple of modish outfit options that’ll complement the bag would be a slightly shimmery sharkskin jacket or a trendy cap-sleeve pinstripe one.
This is the second item we’ve reviewed from Onen Surono. The first one was the cuff and ring set from the Butterfly Jewelry Collection. As with the jewelry review, this one does not disappoint. In fact, we always look forward to what Onen Surono comes up with next. Maybe shoes and tees? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. Whatever is coming next, one thing will be for sure – it will be bold, it will be hip, and it will be chic!
Reviewed by: Brown Eyes
