Fashion by LVMH

She is determined and creative and has chosen to express herself in the world of art, design and fashion, despite her father’s wish for her to follow a more conventional career path. She loves to experiment and try out a wide range of different fields: she has created silk and metal fiber paintings, as well as installations involving water, oil and electromagnetic rotating structures (she is also very interested in physics). The research that accompanies her bag collection goes down new roads every season. She has made her debut with silk models hand-decorated with plastic in iridescent shades, then moving on to heavily personalized fur, while her Summer 2005 collection focuses on the “ragno” series with fringes and metallic skins.

VOGUE

Pontine Paus is rapidly breaking into the designer handbag scene and grabbing herself the reputation of its ‘next big thing’. Her first collection of goat hair bags strung with multi-coloured ribbons flew out of the shops and her summer bags have already been called in by Paul & Joe designer Sophie Albou, no less…Pontine, who triples as an artist and furniture designer, makes bags to her customer’s individual tastes but each one carries her signature knots, tassels and corseted handles.

FINANCIAL TIMES

For a touch of the unusual snap up one of Pontine Paus’s 24hr Gangster bags (pictured). Though officially meant for short trips and “naughty nights away” the bags could just about take enough for a short break requiring only wisps of nothingness to wear. Paus’s simple rectangular bags are inspired by the 1920’s and traditional travel bags from the period, come with leather trim and hides in fancy pony skin, and rope handles, and are available in a dazzling colourful array of shades from fuchsia to burnt orange and red and in more muted shades of camel, black and metallic silver. Fringed detailing around the strap fastenings are intended to mirror the tassels on the front of old fashioned golf shoes and brogues – though they also humorously resemble incredible long cow’s eyelashes – a detail “all about pushing traditional values to the extreme” Not so extreme is the fact that even the largest of these bags is an easily transportable feast. “You can take it on board airplanes, they won’t ask you to check it in”, says Paus. You should, however check them out quickly – they’re selling fast.

MODO

Pontine designed an experimental capsule collection for the Levi’s Vintage Collection. A collaboration between 10 artists and Levis with a world tour exhibition. …Pontine developed her artistic experience in the fields of Fashion, Photography and Design, participating in various competitions and winning many prizes. She works with unusual, synthetic and natural materials. Her themes tend to be philosophical, with spontaneous, ironic approach.

INDEPENDENT

As an accessories designer the way I dress tends to centre around the bag and shoes. I am rarely seen out of a good pair of five inch heels. My favourite new brand is Golden Goose they are brilliant. My beauty essential is Dr.Lipp original nipple balm for lips – its like my security blanket, that’s why I made it. There is nothing worse than being out and not being able to talk properly because one’s lips are too dry. Plus it’s a great conversation piece. Cashmere sweaters are my trans-seasonal must have and Paul & Joe do a great selection of coloured V necks. I have them in every colour and wear them practically every day. When it gets hot I live in Louisa Beccaria summer dresses – they are so romantic and beautifully cut.

DRAPERS

Exotic finishes. Leopards, crocodiles and snakes beware. Pontine Paus Miss E Clutch in hand painted zebra Sting Ray is a Spring 2008 favorite.

THE RESIDENT

Show your wild side. Norwegian designer Pontine’s outstanding collection of handbags combines the traditional with the outrageous. It’s the materials used for Pontine Paus which make this collection stand out. For autumn they include Chinchilla, pony skin, long haired goat fur and faux crocodile skin – all mixed together in amazing myriad colours. But strangely the mix of outlandish fabrics with the traditional style and design of the bags mean they sit just as at perfectly on the arms of girls of 20 as women of 60 – so don’t be afraid to show your wild side.

Vogue

“I love skiing and mountain climbing. I always take my tiny Pontine Paus Yetti backpack to keep all my equipment in it: harness, pick, rope, shovel and first aid kit – all the things I never go climbing without.”

DAGENS NAERINGS LIV

Rare and expensive. Most Pontine Paus bags are sold in England, Switzerland and UAE. “My fur bags, The Yetti Bags, also sell well in Switzerland. We are making a new collection of them for next winter”…

THE INDEPENDENT

This is the Yetti Bag created by Pontine Paus – a handbag designer whose collections feature beautiful, original yet functional bags for all occasions. “My aesthetic is a hybrid of edgy new York urban cool, Italian refinement and sophistication, English humour and, to a certain extent, irony, and Norwegian simplicity”, says the London based Norwegian Paus…

FINANCIAL TIMES

According to handbag designer Pontine Paus, the architecture is simply an extension of the fashion. “Fashion is definitely advertising and all about communicating the brand idea and a certain concept of a life-style that you want to associate yourself with. The packaging has as much to say as the actual product. You can see something in a thrift store, and you might not notice it, then you put it in a beautifully displayed environment and it’s a whole new story. If you walk into a shop, its like walking into someone’s mind. If you are in an environment and you’re reminded of Alice in Wonderland, that visual impression and memory is kept in your mind as associated with the product.”

THE TIMES

Man-bags at dawn. Pontine’s Dollar Bag and 24hr Gangster Bag featured with men’s bags by Paul Smith, Armani, Dolce Gabbana…

ARPEL

Young Norwegian designer-artist Pontine Paus studied in Italy, getting her master’s in industrial design at Domus Academy, and rounded out her studies by obtaining a master’s in industrial Business Administration from Webster University and a degree in art from Sarah Lawrence College of New York. The Milanese experience proved interesting, seeing that Pontine Paus has worked with such illustrious names in international design as Aldo Cibic and Dennis Santachiara and taught at the Politecnico di Milan. After moving to the UK she decided to live permanently in London and became a bag designer but she certainly hasn’t forgotten our country. In fact, last September during Cloudnine in Milan she presented her collection for Summer 2005 that includes a wide choice of bags, made in Italy, in diverse colours and styles. These range from classics of medium size and rounded lines to cylindrical models of smaller dimension and a younger mood, round creations in two and three colours and clutches for the day or evening featuring metal details. As diverse as the styles are the materials used, from leather to fabrics, with contrasts in both colours and materials; a leitmotif of the majority of the bags are tassels, stricktly in tone with the dominant colour of the bag (pink, purple, gree, yellow, azure) or white like the corners, handles or other details, introduced specifically to add a pleasing note of freshness.

FLUX

Creature comfort bags. Artist and accessories designer, Pontine Paus, never planned on a career designing handbags, but after her experiments with plastic and silk, the Pontine Paus collections really took off. Her new collection includes a chinchilla evening bag, a 1920’s inspired Gangster Bag, the Yeti Bag made from long haired goat fur and the very popular at the moment ostrich bag made from Ostrich leg print with goat fur tasstles and a suede interior.

FASHION FACTS

Pontine Paus has big pony skin bags for summer, made striking in bright neon colours such as fuschia with lime fringe. Most interesting are the new “saddle bags” that mimic a pair of Spanish wine sacks carried over the shoulder casually.

DAILY MAIL

Pontine Paus photographed next to Sophie Dean, Senior Editor of Wallpaper Magazine; Saskia Terzani, Commercial Director at Issa; Angie Kurdash, PR director at Gina Shoes – giving a personal interpretation of the Parka worn by style leader Kate Moss.

FINANCIAL TIMES

Parry also believes that a clutch – like most accessories – is a chance for the wearer to reflect their personality and moods. So if you were feeling humorous you could opt for something fun such as a hand bag designer’s Pontine Paus’s Night Owl Clutch. Inspired by a freshly ironed man’s shirt cuff, it is made from black and yellow faux crocodile leather, and features layers of folded back layers that resemble a shirt poking out from under a jacket.

HOW TO SPEND IT

Pontine Paus whose simply shaped bags in luxurious materials such as goat fur or chinchilla have distinctive details like tiny leather fringes, offers a bespoke service to keep her brand individual and will not change, even if her brand expands. “I want to remain a brand that not everyone has” she says. “The concept of luxury disappears when it is available everywhere.”

FINANCIAL TIMES

Another covert bag name gaining currency is Pontine Paus, a Norwegian who started out as an industrial designer experimenting in plastics and silicon. “One day I walked into a shop carrying the bag and they asked me about it,” says Paus. “I said I made it and they asked me to make them some. Initially I made 10 and they sold out, so I made another 10 and thought ‘Oh, this sounds interesting. How can I make more?” She got her MBA – “I wanted to be sure I could make this into a proper business” – then set about creating products “with personality, humour and colour”…The net effect, says Paus, is of pieces that are creative, but at the same time, my industrial design kiks in and they become very functional”.

Shoo MAgazine

Its not the size – its what you put in it. So you need a smart day bag but can’t bear to pare down the essentials you lug around? New designer Pontine Paus has the answer with this luxurious carrier. I found it spacious enough for everything that a working woman needs, and its immaculate stitching and top quality leather means you can show it off in the boardroom as well as The Wolseley.

DIALY MAIL

I grew up surrounded by bags as my mother loves them and has a huge collection of Hermes bags, now she only wears mine! I own about 70 bags. I used to have a lot of vintage ones but I moved house recently and had to get rid of loads as I didn’t have enough space. Now I only wear my own – if I need one for an occasion I just design it. I carry one bag for maybe six months and wear it to death before moving on. I love big bags for the day. But for evenings I vary them depending on my outfit – my favorite is a clutch bag called the Night Owl. Every season I am inspired by something different. I want to make beautifully crafted bags with character. My Hunter bags for next season are all about war and hope – symbolized by the star and camouflage prints. My bandit Bags were inspired by Cowboys. I like having a story behind each one – that’s where my art background comes in. Pontine bags are popular with Kylie and Queen Silvia of Sweden and are stocked all over the world.

ELLE

Pontine lives in an old bohemian loft apartment in Notting Hill. It is a charming pearl that Pontine has found…Pontine’s bags already sell I many countries and the Italian magazine Fashion placed her on the list of the worlds most creative people…

FABRIC

We love Pontine Paus. Thinking of investing in a new snazzy bag for the new season? Then check out hand bag designer Pontine Paus’s range…

VOGUE

Pontine Paus a painter. Pontine is originally from Norway. She moved to London as a child and lives in a sprawling artists studio in Kensington. She loves” parties, entertaining and painting.” She buys reindeer meat from C Lidgate on Holland Park Avenue and buys Kalles caviar in tubes from Ikea…

ES MAGAZINE

Norwegian Pontine Paus has produced her first handbag range combining English humour, New York cool and Norwegian simplicity…

DIALY MAIL

Pontine Paus designs unique handbags that have become a firm favorite with the rich and famous – everyone from pop princess Kylie Minogue to the stylish Queen Sonja of Norway owns one. Her handbags (pictured below) are stocked worldwide…

VOGUE

Vogue loves Pontine Paus bags – instant classics…

HANDBAG.com

We at handbag love a bag that stands out in a crowd and that’s why we’ve fallen in love with the summer collection from Pontine Paus. Each bag is handmade in Italy by craftsmen, handpicked and overseen by Pontine herself, and uses new and unusual materials. A clever mix of New Your cool and Italian sophistication, these are bags with a sense of humour. The range includes everything from saddle-bag style purses to decadent evening bags. Our favourite is the Gangster Bag. Great for any glamorous girl about town.