AW14 sees the debut of Christopher Kane’s first, fully realised, leather goods collection. Expanding from the signature ‘Pencil Case Clutch’ that distinctly marks each successive Christopher Kane clothing collection, the leather goods line now encompasses a multiplicity of bag styles and functions from said clutches to oversized totes. There are eight new styles in all, finished in a choice of premium materials: luxurious calfskins, satined alligator and silky smooth python. Each bag features the distinct ‘Safety Buckle’ fastening.

These two, the animal textures, are of course our faves!

“It is all about the starting point, our heritage,” says Christopher Kane. “For our first bag line I thought it should really reflect where the Christopher Kane collections began: with my Spring-Summer 2007 show. The ‘Safety Buckle’ is a motif from that collection and is something I like to return to, as are the oversized, plastic zips. Neon colour is another of our signatures from early on that reoccurs. Then there is the angular influence of the cutting from Spring-Summer 2012… Each of these elements has marked an important moment in time for me and for our collections. And the start of the Christopher Kane leather goods line is another one of those important moments to mark.”

At the same time this season’s leather goods also reflect much of the Autumn-Winter 2014-15 ready-to-wear collection’s preoccupations. A palette of black, pink, grey and chocolate brown predominates; the themes of safety, subversion and sweetness are key – with just that hint of something darker lurking underneath.