Anteprima

Born and raised in Tokyo, Izumi Ogino founded Anteprima  in 1993 in Milan. Five years later, she debuted at Milan Fashion Week as its first-ever Japanese female designer. In 1998, Ogino introduced Anteprima’s now-iconic object: the Wirebag – conceived through her passion for knitting. A granny-like hobby fruited in baby-like accessories. The hand-knitted technique twists the wire material in such a way that light fractures across its surface, generating an almost aggressive sparkle.

It is said that Anteprima boutiques are strategically located in places with large windows and direct access to sunlight so the sun can stream through the large, windowed facades, causing the Wirebags in the display to sparkle and blind the onlookers, transforming retail space into a kind of optical apparatus. The Wirebags do not just sit in the window; they glare back at you. Ogino herself has remarked, “I think many people are looking for light in today’s dark world.” Oh well… One might respond, somewhat cynically, that there are better sources of light — and that darkness is often unavoidable, and yet, despite this skepticism, Anteprima persists as a disarming phenomenon. In the end, it may simply be the cutest brand in the world!