The Handbag You’ve Never Seen: Gabriela Hearst & Adam Pendleton’s Tribute to Nina Simone | Sotheby’s

Why It Matters

The Nina bag converts luxury consumer demand into direct funding for preserving Nina Simone’s historic home, ensuring her artistic legacy endures while showcasing a model for socially‑impactful fashion collaborations.

Key Takeaways

• Limited-edition Nina Simone bags support preserving her childhood home.
• Designer Gabriela Hearst collaborated with artist Adam Pendleton on bags.
• Jony Ive’s early interest helped launch the project’s momentum.
• Hand-painted bags serve as sculptural tributes, blending fashion and art.
• Proceeds aim to protect cultural heritage and raise Simone’s profile.

Summary

Sotheby’s unveiled a limited‑edition collection of 25 hand‑painted “Nina” handbags, created by fashion designer Gabriela Hearst in partnership with contemporary artist Adam Pendleton. The pieces honor singer‑songwriter Nina Simone and channel all sales toward purchasing and preserving Simone’s childhood home in western North Carolina.

The bags emerged after Hearst showed a prototype to Apple’s former chief design officer Jony Ive, who immediately requested one for his wife, sparking a rapid development cycle. Over two years, Hearst and Pendleton refined the design, treating each bag as a sculptural object—meticulous stitching, a “stardust” fade on the handle, and a surface meant to guide the eye across its painted narrative.

Hearst described Simone as a “musical mother” and said the bag should “bloom” like a voice, while Pendleton noted the project’s “bittersweet” journey and its role in keeping Simone’s name alive. Collaborators such as Rashid Johnson, Julie Mehretu and Ellen Gallagher joined to acquire the childhood home, underscoring a community‑wide commitment.

The initiative blends high fashion, contemporary art and cultural philanthropy, turning a luxury accessory into a vehicle for heritage preservation. By linking a coveted designer item to a tangible historic site, the project amplifies Simone’s legacy and demonstrates how brand collaborations can fund cultural conservation.

Original Description

Artist Adam Pendleton and designer Gabriela Hearst release 25 limited-edition Nina bags that collapse the boundaries between painting, sculpture, and design. Each bag is hand-painted, signed, and entirely unique.

Legendary musician and activist Nina Simone is a touchstone for both Hearst and Pendleton. Gabriela Hearst’s original Nina bag, named in tribute to Nina Simone, has become a defining silhouette in contemporary fashion. In 2017, Pendleton, along with fellow artists, purchased Nina Simone’s childhood home to preserve the musician’s legacy.

Curated and published by Sharon Coplan, net sales proceeds from the collaboration will benefit the Nina Simone Childhood Home.

To inquire, contact [e-mail]. Learn more about the Nina bags here: https://www.sothebys.com/en/digital-catalogues/adam-pendleton-for-gabriela-hearst

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