Corîu portrays its influences through expertly crafted leather handbags that evoke a nostalgic trip to the idyllic Italian countryside.
The art of “maroquinerie,” Italian for “leather making,” is, both literally and symbolically, in Corîu’s blood.
The brand was founded in 2019 by Giordano Lapegna.
With his own background as a creative mind and designer for a company working in leather, for five generations, Giordano’s family has crafted and sold leather goods.
From humble beginnings of his great-great-grandfather selling leather across Southern Italy to his grandparents and their children running influential leather trade businesses in Naples, the material has been connected to Giordano’s family for over 100 years.
Not only is his familial line deeply tied to fine leather, but his cultural roots, along with the brand itself, are intertwined with Italy’s Puglia region, an area steeped in the tradition of craftsmanship.
These influences are not lost in Corîu’s refined aesthetic.
Each bag radiates romantic sentiments of Italy, inviting the wearer to take part in the country’s storied culture.
Corîu’s “Bitta” bag alludes to the maritime history of the peninsula.
Bitta, the Italian word for “bollard,” refers to the hooks along docks for sailors to fasten their boats to.
The bag’s golden clasp which secures its rounded, triangular latch mimics these hooks.
Classic, elegant lines define every piece, exuding the brand’s historical origins as well as the locally-focused and sustainable principles it was founded on.
Collaborating with Puglian artisans and family-run businesses, each and every detail is accounted for as the leathers are cut, assembled and stitched by hand.
Embracing slow fashion practices, Corîu’s Tuscan-sourced leathers are vegetable tanned and dyed, an ancient and eco-sustainable process that produces a sophisticated, organic appearance that subtly changes over time, reflecting the wearer’s lifestyle.
With a brand defined by its Italian roots, Giordano’s combination of his leather crafting heritage and design background result in Corîu’s elevated handbags.