Out of Africa

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Venerable fashion reporter Suzy Menkes has turned her attention to a buzzy business model that connects high end designers with Nairobi's Masai women to create luxury handbags. In a piece for T magazine this weekend, she discusses how Simone Cipriani, an Italian leather industry magnate, employs about 7,000 workers to create the bags out of old men's t-shirts and metal scraps with techniques that substantiate a $175 price tag. Vivianne Westwood, Stella McCartney, and Fendi's Ilaria Venturini, among others, are currently selling the collective's work. And there's good news if you're looking for the cheaper version of the designs: A high street collab is next on Cipriani's wish list. [T Mag]