Luxury Bag Label Kinnon Teams Up With Romy Frydman on a Range of Travel-Ready Essentials

Photo: Courtesy of Kinnon

The globally renowned local stylist’s six-piece collection is inspired by her jet-setting schedule and a particular vintage chair that caught her eye.

Sydney-based stylist and creative director Romy Frydman is no stranger to airports. The blogger-turned-stylist-turned-photographer has spent the better part of the last two decades traversing the globe for fashion mags, celebrity clients and prized brands.

As a self-proclaimed sun chaser, Frydman imbues everything she touches with the essence of an endless summer. Her trademark luxe resort wear style and effortless bohemian charm have cemented her as a local fashion insider, working as a stylist and creative director for Zimmermann and Calvin Klein, and landing her collaborations with Prada, Hermés and Louis Vuitton.

Now, Frydman is adding accessories designer to her lengthy list of accolades. When luxury bag label Kinnon reached out to Frydman asking whether she’d be interested in leading creative direction and design for a resort and travel collection, she was all-in.

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“I wanted versatile, timeless pieces that I personally needed but couldn’t find,” Frydman tells Broadsheet. “I normally carry baskets on my adventures and Kinnon specialises in luxury leather goods. I had to work out how to combine the two, which turned into what we have created with Kinnon by Romy – a unique leather woven rattan that has that basket feel.”

The collection is made up of a tote bag, a crossbody bag, a garment and weekender bag, a pouch, a passport holder and a luggage tag. A standout detail of the range is the hand-woven leather raffia weave used, a material and technique pairing rarely seen.

“Inspiration comes to me in the most obscure places – sometimes it’s from a film or a piece of art – but the original idea for the weave was from a shiny back enamel and tan rattan vintage chair I saw in London two years ago,” Frydman says. After sending a reference photo of said chair to the Kinnon team on WhatsApp, the design process officially kicked off.

The Cambodian-made pieces were created to feel like a “curated selection of rare treasures, as though discovered in hidden corners of the world,” according to Frydman. The first product created was the garment and weekender bag. The oversized, arched bag is the meeting point of practicality and poise.

“I do a lot of weekends away and was always stuffing things in my small bags and then praying they weren’t all creased,” Frydman says. “It took two years of refining during production to get it just right.”

When asked, Frydman simply can’t choose one favourite but insists each product in the capsule collection has its place. “The crossbody bag is my everyday go-to. The tote is a perfect companion for carrying my laptop and everything I need when I’m on the move. The garment bag holds a special place in my heart – so much time and care poured into its design.”

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