Popbaroq, artist-designed bags for a ready-to-wear Sicily
From traditional Sicilian folk art to an incredible innovation in style. This is the essence of Miriam Mangiarotti’s vision that brought forth Popbaroq. With a degree in set design from the Academy of Fine Arts in Palermo, she further specialized as a ‘scenic technician’ at the Scuola dell’Opera del Teatro Comunale in Bologna. After spending a decade working in various Italian theaters as a set designer’s assistant, prop master, and costume assistant, she decided to pursue her own personal workshop, creating itinerant collaborations and crafting commissioned sculptures, props, costumes, papier-mâché masks, and other objects that are part theatrical…and part Sicilian. With her fashion brand Popbaroq, each bag is a one-of-a-kind, hand-painted piece. A blend that evokes the artistic windows of Liberty-style villas, combined with the rich Baroque flair, infused with a pop touch based on street art. Sicilian Secrets interviewed her.
No more of the usual prickly pear motifs, enough with the endlessly repeated Moorish heads or the predictable geometry of the traditional Sicilian carts! We introducing the new line of the most artistic Sicilian shopping bags…POPBAROQ!
Miriam Mangiarotti
Q: How did the Popbaroq project come about?
A: Popbaroq came about from a collaboration with a close friend of mine, fashion designer and artisan Claudia La Grassa. I’m a set designer, and I’ve always had a passion for large-scale painting. This project started with me painting the backdrop canvas – a durable cotton called Canvas – in large dimensions, using a scenographic technique, beginning from the top down. One day, my friend and I decided to embark on this creative partnership. Essentially, I paint these enormous canvases, and she transforms them into beautiful bags!
Q: Why did you choose this name?
A: The name Popbaroq aims to blend Sicilian folk art, like the motifs of the traditional carts, with the frescoed ceilings and artistic windows of the stunning Liberty-style villas in Sicily. All of this is fused with the rich style of the Baroque Valley, with a pop twist inspired by contemporary street art.
Q: You’re a set designer. What motivated you to take the next step into the world of fashion?
A: Most likely, it’s my love for creating and my appreciation for the opportunity to collaborate with others. I’m fortunate enough to know and recognize the talents of the people close to me, and it felt natural to start this partnership with my friend Claudia. I approached the world of fashion almost as a game, and I succeeded because, in reality, Popbaroq bags are beautiful. When you see them all together, they look like fireworks. The canvas turns into a different product, it evolves and changes, and I must say that every time I showcase my traveling boutique, it always makes a strong visual impact.
Q: You mentioned your traveling boutique. What are the benefits of having one?
A: The main advantage of having a traveling boutique is the human connection. It’s very stimulating because I love to travel, move from place to place, meet people, and show them what I can create with my hands. While traveling, I had one of the most memorable encounters, meeting Silvia on the stunning beach of Gialos, on the island of Lefkada in Greece this summer. In a way, that encounter led to this interview! It was such a fulfilling human experience…in every sense, as we even ended up organizing a dinner together in our wonderful vans!
Q: So, the van itself is an experience…
A: Yes, because we van travelers have the chance to bring our traveling boutique with us, setting up in the most beautiful squares and streets we come across on our journeys. This way, you can truly meet people who might share your passions and recognize the art and talent in what you do. Those who are ‘gifted’ must share this energy. Being a traveling artisan is a fantastic experience.
Q: Is there any special moment in your artistic journey that you want to share with us?
A: I remember the first time I showcased my work in Ortigia, the perfect place to debut Popbaroq. There, artisans are highly valued, they’re considered an asset and are protected. I recall a woman with Korean features who came from a historic building near the Piazza del Duomo, possibly the owner of an atelier. She looked at me with astonishment and wonder. That moment stands out because Popbaroq bags have the power to be different from the usual shopping bags: they have their own charisma, their own personality, and each one is a unique, hand-painted, and hand-sewn piece. It’s a universal language.
Q: Who is the ideal customer for Popbaroq bags?
A: In my opinion, there’s no such thing as an ideal customer, because these bags are truly without boundaries. They can be purchased by men, by women, by transgender individuals. They are open, they are itinerant. They can appeal to children, they can appeal to the elderly, there is no specific target, absolutely none.
Q: Looking to the future, where would you like to take your project?
A: I see a very colorful future, extremely colorful, actually. Through my painting, with every brushstroke, I’m able to convey the enthusiasm that Popbaroq inspires in people every day. Because each bag is hand-painted, it’s the magic of those details and those nuances that makes them appealing day after day. Each day, a bag that feels alive. I don’t think Popbaroq will limit itself to creating shopping bags, perhaps the name will remain as the brand for my entire workshop.
Q: Finally, what projects and new ideas are already in progress?
A: One of the new ideas I’m working on is painting on commission vans and campers. The aim is to give each vehicle a personal touch, to infuse it with character through Sicilian folk art reinterpreted in a more contemporary style, creating balanced designs tailored specifically to the vehicle. Just as carts were once decorated, today we personalize vans! There are also some other projects, such as an exhibition of my acrylic-painted canvases, which draw inspiration from Liberty-style stained glass windows, a true celebration of Sicilian heritage! And, of course, one thing always leads to another. From one encounter a new project comes about, and like a matryoshka doll, we have various artistic, cultural, and intellectual works in progress, ranging from theater and set design to podcasts. There’s so much more to tell…Popbaroq (and beyond!) is constantly evolving.
