Qwerty Elemental: A Fusion of Fashion and Function

Patrizia Donà's Award-Winning Handbag Collection Inspired by the Remington Typewriter

The Qwerty Elemental collection draws its name from the oldest typing template, invented by newspaper editor Christopher Sholes in 1868 and sold to Remington in 1873. The QWERTY layout, designed to prevent the metal arms of the typewriter letters from clashing and jamming, has remained unchanged for 150 years. This design principle is reflected in Donà's handbags, which feature typewriter keys as a distinctive visual feature.

Just as typewriters evolved from complex visual forms to clean-lined, simple geometric forms, the Qwerty Elemental collection embodies the same transformation. Constructive steel parts, made by various craftsmen, give the bag an architectonic appearance. The typewriter keys, initially re-applied from original Remington typewriters and later constructed according to Donà's design, are now produced in-house since 2013.

The production process of the Qwerty Elemental collection involves a combination of craft and industrial methods. The typewriter keys are made from brass metal sheets, which undergo several stages of cutting, curvature, and perforation. The keys are then galvanized and assembled with a chrome ring and a laser-cut disk with an engraved sign. The hardware is cut and highly polished from stainless steel by a metal craftsman. The leatherwork is done by skilled craftsmen using time-honored tanning and finishing techniques.

The Qwerty Elemental collection features three sizes of handbags: large (28x31x10.5 cm), medium (26x24x10.5 cm), and small (25x13x3 cm). These bags are designed for everyday city use, suitable for both daylong activities and evening occasions. The collection was developed between 2018 and 2020 in Zagreb, Venezia, and Vicenza.

One of the major challenges in the development of the Qwerty Elemental collection was the creation of a tool for producing typewriter keys. It took approximately six months to develop a machine for this purpose. Despite the challenges, the collection has been recognized for its innovative design, winning the Platinum A' Fashion and Travel Accessories Design Award in 2020.