Colour is the new black: Milanblocks brings colour frontstage

Coco Chanel’s little black dress, designed in 1926, changed people’s negative perception of the colour created since the Victorian era. For nearly one hundred years, black ruled as the colour required to maintain mourning etiquette thanks to Queen Victoria’s mourning of Prince Albert. She wore a total black look for 40 years after his death in 1861.

Sophisticated and chic, black clothes have often featured as a dominant color in fashion shows. Goths and punks love black, as do existentialists and its reflection of intellectual life. Over the years, many colors have become the new black, including gray, brown, and beige.

However, one person’s nostalgia for all colours brings the brightest colours to the forefront of fashion, and she is not shy to parade her love for all things colorful. That person is Hua Cline, founder of Milanblocks, the company founded in 2021 and known for its astounding clutches. Besides fabulous bags, Hua also designs a range of accessories.

What a colorful world

Clutches and accessories designed in conscious colour combinations are Hua Cline’s specialty, but the designer takes particular care to ensure everything is both animal and eco-friendly. Known for using non-traditional materials, mainly acrylics, Hua remains cautious to ensure every design considers unconscious bias, including the bag shape and color combinations.

The Milanblocks owner has worked hard to become a successful minority entrepreneur in a demanding and competitive industry but feels proud of how far she has come.

Hua Cline describes her affinity for color: “As a child, I missed getting dressed up, and I strongly believe this encouraged my love for fashion and colors. My bags become flamboyant to help me celebrate all things girly, like the beautiful bright colors of macarons, lots of bows, baubles feathers, and glitz! ”  

Running between school and business

Hua Cline’s parents never supported her dream of becoming a designer, so she decided she had to find her way to New York City in America. Achieving her goals meant hard work, but Hua was determined to make it.

Enrolling in the Parson School of Design meant a considerable expense, but Hua put her business mind to good use to help her complete her design course. Her commitments soon started paying off, and Hua reached the first of the milestones she had set for herself when Macy’s accepted to sell her clutches. Soon prominent magazines and celebrities started noticing her work, and Milanblocks bags soon featured in magazines like Cosmo, ELLE, Seventeen, and Stylewatch and at the Daytime Emmy Awards. 

Drawing inspiration from life

As NYFW 2022 draws closer, one thing is sure, Hua Cline and Milanblocks will be there, but what inspires her designs?

“The inspiration for every single bag comes from life,” says Hua, “including my childhood and relationships, both the happy and the failed. Creativity stems from dreams and the soul, something that represents the growth process in every person on earth.”

Interestingly, Hua’s beliefs in the beauty and creativity of life also inspired the name of her company. Milan represents her respect for her first art teacher, who hailed from the Italian city. On the other hand, blocks represent more than just the shape of her bags; they are the force that drives each of us as we get on with living.

Joining the ranks of accessory designers like L’afshar and Susan Alexandra, Hua Cline through Milanblocks represents the gorgeous esthetics of a beautiful bag and the deeper meaning of existence.

Hua Cline’s colorful world includes bright and pastel colors that imbue a sense of joy in every pretty design. In addition, attractive feathers, stones, and pearls create the desired depth and contrast for each bag, making you want to own as many designs as possible.

For Cline, the beautiful process of life means never giving up on the power of love. Even with failure, something she knows well, she can never stop moving forward and never give up. “I intend to design beautiful and colorful objects passionately for as long as I live. Creation is the soul of my existence!”

As a fan of Milanblocks bags, I second her desire never to stop designing. I can’t wait to see Hua Cline’s creations for decades as she brings color frontstage, making it the new black!