Lupita Nyong’o left us speechless Wednesday evening as she walked the red carpet at the Los Angeles premiere of Black Panther 2: Wakanda Forever. The event celebrated the much-anticipated sequel to the second-highest-grossing Marvel solo film of all time, not to mention one of Hollywood’s largest premiere’s since pre-COVID days. Needless to say, everything had to be perfect. 

Lupita’s red carpet style has always been a playful mix of color, texture, and movement - every element in its purposeful place. To achieve the right look, Celebrity Stylist Micaela Erlanger tapped the Bella Rosa Collection’s Maria Caruso Martin - who recently designed several pieces for Sophia Bush’s bridal ensemble - to request a custom-crafted “Made for Me” clutch to suit the mood. The luxury sustainable handbag designer immediately set to work on a gorgeous heirloom item curated to enhance the singular beauty and personality of the beloved Black Panther Academy Award-winning actress.

Over a series of phone calls, meetings, and sketches between Caruso Martin and Erlanger’s home base of New York, the two formulated a vision of sleek, modern couture with a touch of old-Hollywood glamour - clean lines, eye-catching metallics, with plenty of room for Lupita’s phone. After much deliberation about the color, Erlanger identified an exact shade of white from the Pantone metallic swatch deck, meticulous about every detail. The Bella Rosa craftsman in Italy recommended a galvanized metal finish custom coated in high-gloss lacquer. Everything came together flawlessly.  

“To work alongside Micaela again on such an exciting project was true kismet,” shares Caruso Martin. “Earlier this year, we collaborated on several custom ‘Made for Me’ bags for her Miami wedding, and we immediately felt a synergy. Our taste and style are very similar. It has been a true pleasure to create so many amazing handbags with her this year.”

Known for creating sustainable bespoke pieces that complement a lifelong heirloom collection, Caruso Martin also included a very special touch for such a momentous occasion. Tucked inside the clutch is a personalized sentiment plaque reading “WAKANDA FOREVER,” ensuring that each time Lupita holds the clutch, she will carry with her the powerful memories of an unforgettable milestone.

The completed Milan clutch is handcrafted according to proud Italian heritage by the Bella Rosa makers in Florence, Italy. The solid brass geometric pieces are welded together, sanded, and buffed. The bag is then sprayed with a lacquer finish to create a fresh take on a classic geometric design with plenty of room for a phone and other personal essentials. 

Closing out a year marked with dozens of exciting “Made for Me” celebrity collaborations, Caruso Martin and Erlanger look forward to teaming up once again to release an exclusive capsule collection in early 2023. The personalizable Milan clutch is available now for pre-order with a January 2023 delivery.  

The Bella Rosa Collection is a premium line of bespoke, custom bridal and evening clutches and handbags that preserves Italian luxury in a small-batch, sustainable fashion.

It's a story made for an early 2000s Rom-Com. Leading wedding industry expert Sarah Kay Love established herself in New York City, working for InStyle magazine, photographer Nigel Barker of "America's Next Top Model" fame, and most recently, the premiere wedding publication The Knot. After over seven years in the wedding world, Love finally found — love. 

With top connections in the bridal space, she turned to Gabrielle Hurwitz, coveted bridal stylist, to curate the wedding outfits of her dreams. With the destination wedding in Italy, Hurwitz worked with Creative Director of The Bella Rosa Collection Maria Caruso Martin to develop unique, Italian handmade clutches for each event leading up to the big day. Keep reading to learn more about the inspiration behind each handbag.  

1. The Rosa Hummingbird Clutch with Custom Embroidery

Location: Palazzo Avino
Wedding event: The Hummingbird-Inspired Dinner 

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2. The Raffia Clutch

Location: Da Paulino Restuarant
Wedding event: Capri Lemon Luncheon 

Photo Credit: Rebecca Yale Photography

Taking inspiration from the location, Love wanted to pay homage to the citrus fruit synonymous with the Amalfi Coast — the bright and happy lemon. The wedding party boarded a speed boat to Capri to enjoy a private lunch at Da Paulino, famous for its lemon grove. 

Love wore the custom clutch complemented by the lemon-motif Dolce and Gabbana gown and matching earrings Hurwitz picked out for this event. "We knew we had to incorporate lemons into a theme during the wedding week," Love said. "The Raffia Clutch kept the look feeling fresh and casual." 

3. The True Love Bella Pearl Clutch

Location: The Belmond Caruso
Wedding event: The Rehearsal Dinner 

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With over 1,100 pearls hand-sewn, the white pearl bridal clutch had over 40 hours of craft to complete Love's look for the rehearsal dinner. Hurwitz paired the clutch with Jennnifer Behr earrings to reference Love's first date "under a pink moon" and a pair of pearl Jimmy Choo heels. 

"Gabrielle [Hurwitz] and I were both speechless when the clutch arrived," Love said. "The detail and expertise were exquisite! Maria is truly an expert in her craft, and I am so grateful to her!"

"The detail and expertise were exquisite! Maria is truly an expert in her craft, and I am so grateful to her!"

The Bella Rosa x Gabrielle Hurwitz collaboration now offers a Bella Rosa exclusive, the 'True Love' clutch. It takes ten weeks of dedicated production for this unique clutch to be meticulously handcrafted in Italy. 

Sign up to receive updates on new releases from The Bella Rosa x Gabrielle Hurwitz collaboration.

4. Limoncello Yellow Satin Bella Clutch

Inspired by Italy's Amalfi Coast, a coastline featuring terraced vineyards and cliffside lemon groves, the bold yellow bridal handbag features a refreshing pop of color. Crafted with duchess satin by Italian artisans, the celebrity stylist Micaela Erlanger wore the design first during her Miami wedding weekend.  

Love carried this gorgeous yellow satin clutch on her honeymoon week. Need help planning your bridal looks? Download our complimentary Bridal Planning Tool to effortless plan all your bridal looks from engagement party to honeymoon.

Bespoke x The Bella Rosa Collection 

The Bella Rosa Collection knows the importance of honoring heritage and believes every bride deserves to own a personalized clutch to remember the people there to love and support you on your wedding day — in person or in spirit. Creative Director Maria Caruso Martin works with each bride to design each couture bridal clutch and evening bag. 

Select from four stunning materials — Italian Duchess Satin to hand-sewn pearls — and choose a gold or silver frame to complement the mother-of-pearl clasp. All of Bella Rosa's Bespoke bags offer a custom sentiment plaque laser engraved with a wedding sentiment, and Love's message didn't disappoint: 

More brides are choosing to incorporate multiple outfit changes during the wedding day, from ceremony to reception to dance party. For others, it's a whole week of celebrations to consider, from welcome dinners to rehearsals and more. 

Anne Lee, the principal planner at Daughter of Design and founder of Plannie.com, told Brides Magazine that multiple bridal looks could help "bridge the overarching aesthetic of the events.” The decision comes with extra planning so keep reading for the first five steps to start planning out your outfits for the wedding day, week, or longer!

1. Figure Out Your Bridal Style

We love any excuse to get on Pinterest, and now is one of them. The same way you approached the design of your wedding week, you want to create a mood board to gather inspiration. Ask yourself, what kind of bride do you want to be? Whether bohemian like Kate Moss or luxe like Chrissy Teigen, this will give you an idea of the style you gravitate towards and determine the style you want to accomplish. Explore bridal mood boards, styling ideas, and dreamy inspiration on our Pinterest.

2. Ground the Bridal Looks with a Core Element  

Even maximalists know that to look "together," there needs to be a common thread. While each event deserves to be treated as unique, planning out the element that ties your bridal looks together will be a godsend when combing through the photographs later. Similar to how you'd select a color palette or theme for your wedding — like barnyard chic or roaring 20s — you want to align with the wedding party. 

3. Find Make-up and HairStyles to Elevate Your Looks

From natural to bold, make-up and hair are significant elements of your bridal looks. The best make-up artist won't let you leave their chair without passing you a lipstick or spray to reapply later. Even the most potent products wear off after a day of eating, drinking, and sweating on the dance floor. When prepping your outfit, the realities of having practical pockets are slim-to-none, so consider accessories that are both beautiful and functional to hold these excess items. 

The Bella Rosa clutch is a way to carry the essentials without clashing with your perfectly curated appearance. Work directly with Creative Director Maria Caruso Martin to design and match a bespoke bag to your dress before it's sent to Italy to be hand-stitched by talented artisans. 

4. Consider Hiring a Bridal Stylist 

When hiring a bridal stylist, you want to ensure your style aligns with theirs, so don't be afraid to ask for examples of their work. Also, chemistry is everything with your bridal stylist because they're going to be the fashion-forward bestie that will tell you, "Absolutely not that dress" when needed. There's a level of comfort that will allow for collaboration so you can make your wedding dreams come true. 

The Bella Rosa Collection offers brides the absolute best in our bridal styling in bridal collection and limited edition releases of specialty bridal handbags.  Explore our exclusive designer collaborations with top bridal stylists Joy Proctor, and Gabrielle Hurwitz.

Get exclusive pre-release invites to designer collaborations, 'Insider only' invitations, and complimentary fabric samples as a Bella Rosa Insider.

5. Download the Bridal Look Planner

It's okay not to know everything right now. Planning a wedding takes a team, so planning multiple bridal looks can feel daunting. You're not just saying "Yes to the dress" but also yes to the rehearsal dinner jumpsuit and the cocktail dress for the bridal shower. The free Bridal Look Planner is filled with expert tips to help you plan your wedding event outfits, so you have one less headache to worry about with planning. 

Sophia Bush brings flower power a whole new meaning. On June 11, Sophia and her now-husband Grant Hughes married in Tulsa, Oklahoma in a floral-themed ceremony that brought together their family heritage, commitment to activism, and deep love for each other. 

The ceremony took place at the Philbrook Museum of Art — and Sophia’s accessories fit right in. She incorporated multiple bridal looks throughout the wedding weekend, and The Bella Rosa Collection had the honor of being part of her special day with three bridal clutch bags. 

Download our Multiple Look Bridal Planner, a free styling guide for your wedding. 

The whole weekend was filled with bespoke touches that made time special for everyone involved. Friday night, the couple hosted guests for an evening of dinner and music for some good ol’ bonding so that everyone could really celebrate together on Saturday. Styled in a “bling” outfit, Sophia went with Bella Rosa’s silver clutch to bring even more sparkle to the evening.

Sophia told Vogue, “When thinking about the purpose of our wedding, we wanted our community that pours into us to pour into a community at large that we love and that deserves all our attention.”

From a large Italian family, Sophia wanted her heritage to be included to honor “where we come from and how we are all coming together to map where we are going.” Monique Lilliuer personally designed a floral embroidered veil with peach “Oklahoma tea roses, deep orange California poppies, warm green Italian olives, and butterfly ranunculus” — each signature flower represented a family member so they could be with her as she walked down the aisle. 

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Sophia turned to The Bella Rosa Collection’s Creative Director Maria Caruso Martin to design a matching accessory for the special day. Maria used a sketch of the heritage flower pattern to reference for the custom embroidery for Sophia’s bespoke wedding day clutch. 

“I selected a specific section of the pattern to properly align with the Bella Clutch, and when I sent it to our atelier to embroider the flowers they included a tiny honey bee,” Maria said. “Sophia and Grant have a honey bee farm, so this detail was so important to include in the embroidery.” 

Sophia asked for a “punch of color,” so together, Maria and Sophia selected the Bella Rosa “Pink Sky” satin as the base fabric. Her gown was a soft shade of pink with a signature Monique Lilliuer flower print of roses native to Italy. 

“We decided to add flowers on top of flowers with a deeper shade of pink for the base fabric,” Maria said. “The result was simply magic.” 

Shades of tangerine and pink were mixed into the florals and the combination of colors set against the pink satin created a “warm, romantic and tender” look.  

“I worked closely with Sophia to find the perfect color like I do with all of my clients to make it special and unique to them,” Maria said. “We also offer custom designs for your bridesmaid clutch bags where you can match the color of their dresses exactly.”

Sophia selected “A Sunday kind of love” with their wedding date — a reference to their first dance to friend Jack Garratt playing a rendition of “Sunday Kind of Love” by Etta James. 

Monique Lhuillier designed @sophiabush’s gown. Lhuillier and Bush created a custom palette where they scanned imagery of the couples’ bees and placed them among the flowers, as creating a beehive was the couple's very first project together. https://t.co/1HqYeJQHRH pic.twitter.com/ovwtj5vWyD

— Vogue Magazine (@voguemagazine) July 14, 2022

Sophia carried Bella Rosa’s first-edition Zebra Wood Bella Clutch throughout her honeymoon with an African inscription that read ‘Alkebulan S 2022 G’, to pay tribute to the original ancient name of Africa which translates to “mother of mankind” or “the garden of Eden.”

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The Bella Clutch will feature this limited wood series exclusively through Fashion Kind where Sophia is co-founder. Read more details about Sophia Bush and Grant Hughes’ Tulsa wedding in Vogue. 

The Bella Rosa Collection is a premium line of bespoke, custom bridal and evening clutches and handbags that preserves Italian luxury in a small-batch, sustainable fashion.

The Bella Rosa Collection offers more than just in-stock luxury bridal clutches. In fact, Bespoke by Bella Rosa is an experience, a tailored experience, if you will. With each custom clutch handcrafted with precision by artisans  in Italy, no two are ever alike. Our Bespoke services offer brides, stylists and fashion-forward women the opportunity to work alongside our team to create a one-of-a-kind handbag, for your wedding day, honeymoon, a red-carpet event, or social celebration.

Perhaps you’re a bride-to-be, seeking a unique, bridal clutch for your various events? Or, you’re simply questioning what ‘bespoke’ really means? Allow us to solve your curiosity. Read on for everything you’ll need to know about our custom handbag  process.

Bespoke Bella Rosa Clutch, made for Sarah Kay Love
Photography By – Rebecca Yale

01. Bespoke Custom Design Consultation Request

Where to begin? Let’s start here. 

Customization and personalization of our signature Bella Clutch is always an option to create something unique to you. If you’re seeking further customizations for a truly one of a kind luxury clutch or accessory, allow The Bella Rosa Collection to welcome you to a design consultation with owner and founder and creative director, Maria Caruso-Martin. Maria will collect details, from your personal style to your event details. Perhaps you have a personalized motif or monogram for your wedding? Will florals play a role in your event, and if so, would you like to bring them to life in your clutch? Simply fill out this form and together, we’ll bring your vision to life.

02. One of a Kind Details

The Bella Rosa Collection Bespoke service is completely tailored to you. We’re simply here to make your dream come true by offering endless possibilities to personalize every detail of your couture bridal handbag, including the customization of  material, shape, hardware, embroidery, and engraving.

03. Sourcing Your Materials

You are welcome to select your custom handbag color from our array of duchess satin options. If you are seeking a unique , one of a kind color, our exclusive network of Italian craftsmen and artisans can handpick materials until we’ve found the perfect match. From satin to wood, velvet and more – we’ll make your vision come to fruition.

Bespoke Bella Rosa Clutch, made for Micaela Erlanger

Photography By – Christian Oth Studio

Similar to when we designed multiple handbags for the wedding weekend of Celebrity Stylist Micaela Erlanger, Micaela traveled to Milan for a special fitting with Versace where our team met with her to ensure the color match of her Vintage FW1995 Versace dress styled for one of her wedding events. Our talented team in Italy sourced the final color selection for Micaela’s bespoke clutch  in Florence, and Micaela was able to personally approve the satin. 

If this is the personalized approach you’re searching for, please get in touch with our team.

04. Handcrafted in Italy

Each clutch from The Bella Rosa Collection is handcrafted in Florence, Italy by the top craftsmen and artists. 

Maria Caruso-Martin shares, “After the design consultation, I present an approved hand sketch of the clutch to the craftsmen in Italy – featuring notes and dimensions, accompanied by inspiration photographs and mood boards. If custom fabric is needed, the Bella Rosa team will source the fabric and send a sample swatch board for the client to make the final material selection. Once finalized, CAD drawings and 3D color renders are provided for approval – which leads us to the production phase.” 

Each Bespoke bridal clutch is one of a kind, which in turn slows the fashion cycle and helps to minimize waste and reduce overproduction.

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05. Fulfillment 

Each couture handbag is delivered within 6-8 weeks, depending on the complexity of the design. Full transparency and communication is provided throughout the process. We love sending sneak peeks throughout the design process, as we know how important a custom, luxury handbag truly is.