Lemont Native Wins International Fashion Design Award

Lemont native Krystal Sokolis, a recent graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design, recently won an international fashion award for her one-of-a-kind handbag design.

The sixth annual Independent Handbag Design Awards, the only handbag competition of its kind in the world, was held June 13 in New York City and drew some 400 attendees, including designers from dozens of countries, according to a press release.

This year's contest resulted in a record 1,000 handbag entrees, which judges pared down to the final 30 in seven categories.

Sokolis was the winner in the student category.

"I am so thankful," Sokolis said in the release. "This has completely opened the door to the next path in my life. I can't wait to step in and begin designing products with personality."

Sokolis' winning handbag was inspired by "a whimsy twist on steampunk," an aesthetic that "originates in the romantic elegance of the Victorian era and blends in modern scientific advances," according to the release.

"Compasses, gears, and gadgets are my thing," Sokolis said. "A touch of class to the old world style, simple in design but complex in technique. My tag line has now become 'We have rejected your reality, and have substituted it for our own.'

Her handbag is an all-handwoven leather computer case, with a hand-whittled exotic wooden handle and custom-printed gnome fabric for lining. A silhouette of a cicada is cut from a sheet of nugold for the brand, "Ophilya," which stands for "rebirth," the release states.

In addition to the award, Sokolis has won the opportunity to design for the private label collection, Piazza, for Handbags.com.

CLICK HERE to view Sokolis' handbag on InStyle.com.

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