Lowkey Vintage Brand You Should Know: Christiana
Most people see my beaded bag and ask if it’s Staud. I love Staud, but no, this is Christiana. The original.
Christiana Lapetina-Johnson founded Christiana Enterprises in 1994 out of Kansas City, building a brand around hand-beaded bags before Prada, Fendi, or Valentino made beading a thing. But her eye for this work started earlier. Before her namesake brand, she was the designer for Other Destination, an art-to-wear fashion label based in India. That cultural immersion shows up in every piece. She pulled influences from India, South America, Africa, and the American Southwest into her designs, and it reads.
Her bags show up at thrift stores, estate sales, and on eBay regularly and they are still incredibly wearable. The shoulder bag style is the most recognizable (and the priciest on resale). Evening bags in a 1920s-inspired silhouette tend to run under $40. She always intended her pieces to be used, not saved. Trader Joe’s run? Grab the beaded bag.
One sourcing tip: search “Christian” (without the A) because people misspell it constantly and you’ll find deals hiding in plain sight. And if you fall down the Christiana rabbit hole, look into Other Destination too. Equally special.
If you love curated content like this, I think you’ll love the paid edition of The Splendor Collective. PSA: paid subscribers got this two years ago. Being on the inside pays — literally.
- Vintage Cristiana Beaded Shoulder Bag 1980’s Colorful Zebra Stripes Boho Tribal, $55
- Leopard Print Beaded Shoulder Bag, $100
- Christiana VTG Boho Southwestern Black Beaded Shoulder Bag Multicolor Western, $90
- Christiana Beaded Shoulder Bag, $125
- Christiana Boho Southwestern Black Beaded Shoulder Bag Multicolor Western VTG, $100
- Christiana Vintage Beaded Shoulder Purse, $40
- Christiana?Beaded Baguette Bag, $136
- VTGChristiana Beaded Handbag Southwestern Style – 10″ RARE, $95 (my bag twin)
