Imagine a beautiful painting that reflects a mood perfectly; now imagine that painting on a handbag. Indianapolis native Rebecca Robinson has decided to turn the tables and fuse art into something wearable.
At an early age, Robinson was able to be creative, unique and hone her special talents. Whether it was art, language, dance or music, the North Central grad knew the arts were her passion.
That creativity has now paid off as Robinson has launched her new line of art handbags called Psnob (pronounced snob).
“I started playing around with some ideas and figured, what if I could paint on canvas then make them into handbags,” said Robinson. “I wanted to pursue something in the arts that would allow me to create a good product, make a living and something that would stand in the market.”
Robinson’s concept of morphing a painting into a handbag wasn’t an easy feat. It has taken several years for the artist to come up with a product that could withstand a modern woman’s lifestyle.
In Psnob’s early stages, Robinson was able to paint and sew the bags by hand, but once her idea caught on, she was unable to keep up with the high demand. From there, she researched materials, sizes, shapes and more to get the perfect look for her product.
Psnob handbags have been treated to be weather resistant and won’t peel, crack or fade in the sunlight. The protective coating is also safe for animals. When you touch the bag the owner is still able to feel the texture of the paint; it’s as if you were touching a painting on the wall.
After years of trial and error, Robinson’s Psnob handbag line is art as a fashion accessory.
“They are so unique. It’s never been done before and it was an ingenious idea. People spend thousands of dollars on a piece of artwork to put in their house, but this is a functional piece of artwork,” said Shawnda Trigg, a longtime friend of Robinson.
Others also feel Psnob is on its way to be among Versace, Louis Vuitton, Prada and other high priced bags. The difference between Psnob and other designer handbags, according to Robinson, is that they’re hand painted and there are only a few of its kind, Psnob can never be duplicated.
“Someone is always looking for something different. You don’t want to go out to dinner and see somebody carrying the same handbag as you,” added Trigg.
Although Robinson hopes to expand her one of a kind handbags in the future, her current line is called the Gwenny, named after her grandmother Gwendolyn. Her high end, exclusive clutches feature pops of color that can go from the boardroom to the bar.
Robinson’s future endeavors for Psnob is to feature other handbags for different age groups and purposes.
“My next collection is going to be geared for younger women or teens. Those are called ‘My Psnobs in Training.’ It’ll be a bit less expensive than the clutch,” said Robinson. “My more conservative woman, maybe she doesn’t want something so loud and vibrant. That’s my ‘Closet Psnob.’ It’s like she has an inner Psnob and maybe the artwork is the lining of the bag and it’s more toned down.”
For women a great, one of a kind handbag is the next best thing since sliced bread. Many can go as far as to say they feel naked without their purse. Fashion plays a key role in a woman’s mood and attitude and Robinson has taken that concept from off the walls and into women’s hands.
