One plus one can equal more than two. Especially when it comes to the art of semi-couture.  From a myriad of combinations can come a whole new total greater than the sum of the options themselves. Accessories brand M2Malletier, founded by Colombian designers Melissa Losada and Marcela Velez who shuttle between Barcelona and London, recently offered customers their opportunity to test the boundaries of this style math. Choose from a myriad of options to create your own bag made up of their architectural signatures but in new shapes that distances itself from their iconic metallic bar across their signature style...

 
An ode to the arts – their philosophy is built on the unification of minimalism and surrealism, and names like French interior designer Jean-Michel Frank, Catalan architect Ricardo Bofill, and influential patron of the arts, Marie-Laure de Goalie, serve as points of their inspiration. Meanwhile, this season in particular arrives by way of references from Japanese architect Tadao Ando and artist Georges Rousse. Spherical, hardstone clasps cap off the bespoke bags, whereby you can choose the stone of your own choice, all of which is available to discover at Alex Eagle in London and online


 
As part of the offering that's made in a family-run Spanish factory over a four to six week period, the clasps are customisable in three distinctive stones: a spotty Dalmatian jasper, a darker Picasso jasper and a mottled-finish amazonite. Then there's the body of the bag: different-coloured leathers and exotic skins are among the options to pick 'n' choose from, including hot pink and black metallic snake, grey saffiano and multicoloured rhombus snake. Yum!
 
Feeling a bit of old school glamour coming back into my wardrobe, I was drawn to a boxier style, the 'Marie-Laure' and kept it graphic by making it a black and white pairing. This is a bag worthy of hand-me-down status.



Also on Because Magazine:

+ Caroline channels Margot Fonteyn and Darcey Bussell...

+ This week we chose the season-apropos #StoreStories to help us hand-pick this winter's outerwear staples. 

+ COS’s reimagined hobo bag finds the perfect balance between chicness and pillow-esque style.