In 2007, Dutch designers Ratna Ho and Pascal Mulder met at the Art Academy in Arnhem. Ho was studying fashion design and Mulder product design. They cofounded two brands, which later became Fraenck. We caught up with the co-founders, who are in town for the 2019 Independent Handbag Designer Awards.
Q: Is this your first nomination?
A: We entered for the first time this year and got nominated out of 2000 entries. We spoke to one nominee who had entered 10 times, so the level is very high. We decided to enter our marbled bag for the Pinatex Best Green Handbag category. This bag was made from upcycled artificial leather and painted with residual paint bought second-hand on Marktplaats ( the Dutch version of Craigslist). The bag is unique because it is painted by hand.