A free-spirited Bari native, living in Milan, Bonavoglia designs handbags that truly radiate with the Italian essence of living for the moment. Chaotic and adventurous, her inspirations naturally collide resulting in pieces filled with a harmonious blend of dynamic colors and shapes. She proves the beauty of naivety with strong inspirations, natural processes and irreplaceable designs in her Bonaive collections. "Ever since I was able to walk I’ve breathed fashion.”

A bright-eyed Bonavoglia takes us back to the beginning. "My family has a long standing tradition in fashion, starting with my Grandad.” A strong heritage in the art of design got her started in the industry at a ripe age. “My parents owned a children’s fashion line for 20 years and I started to work with them as soon as I could.” Early exposure to fine fabrics, fanciful jewels and national fashion events started her runaway romance with accessories.  

With such poignantly vibrant pieces, what inspires her is a mystery. Her answer, “Anything.” Her eyes are floodgates constantly streaming her surroundings into her creative cauldron. “It could be something as simple and unthinkable as a brick that will rush me to jot down a draft onto anything I can get my hands on.” She travels widely to keep her scenery dynamic and her creativity alive. “ Whenever I feel flat I know it’s time to get up and go….It stimulates my intellect and moves me in different ways.” She even has her own safe haven of serenity. “I love to find shelter in my holiday house in Salento. It’s a magical place.”  There, she kicks her shoes off, becomes one with nature, and collects herself to create. 

With a constant whirlwind of inspirations, she uses leather and Bakelite as her canvases. On strong, bright and malleable surfaces she crazily crosses colors and geometrical shapes, magically forming beautiful symphonies of simplistic chaos. Her works are more than handbags; they are art pieces. With her Precious 7 selections she’s channeled artistic legends such as Lichtenstein, Mondrian, and even David Bowie, sharing the crème de la crème of Bonaive. 

Francesca’s work and personal life are magnificently intertwined, with the only rule being to live for and by the moment. “I’ve learned not to mind yesterday’s mistakes and to never lose focus on today’s objectives…I truly enjoy experimenting without taking myself too seriously.” This goes for work and play.  You can find her cuddled up with books and movies on cold winter days or barbecuing in the backyard with friends on the first night of spring. She could be dancing all night at the Milan club Plastic or having a quaint happy hour in Capetown. Wherever the winds take her you can bet she’s got a pen in hand, writing about the inspiring sights of each experience.