In the competitive world of fashion, repeating ideas are often considered a faux pas.

Hence, why when creating BONIA's 1960's Manhattan inspired Autumn/Winter 2017/2018 collection, Creative Director Pepe Torres said it was important to not descend into a cliché.

"We didn't create something that was retro. My aim is to always be contemporary, but what we did take was some of the shapes from the era, and some of the materials, which we used to mix and match," he said in a recent interview.

Torres said that getting inspired by New York was the easy part.

"Manhattan is a city with a very strong personality and character," he explains.

What was more challenging was his choice of 1960's New York, which he cites as one of the more exciting times in the history of Manhattan. Torres explains that this was the period where companies grew up as the dust settled from the Second World War, and the healing process began.

"Pan Am for example, and all the auto companies, this was when they started to grow," he explains, adding that this was when there was an advertising boom by the big companies, exemplified and immortalised in popular TV series Mad Men.

Another important development said Torres, was the advent of women fully entering the workforce and was a hand that was forced by World War II. Women during that time had been encouraged to fill many traditionally male-centric jobs, as scores of men were sent off to combat.

"The role of the women during that time became increasingly important, but in addition to that, they all had a certain sense of style that would carry them through their working day to night," he says.

He adds that his colour palette was also inspired by the work of contemporary American artist Kenton Nelson, whose illustrations had been used several times by quintessential Manhattan magazine, The New Yorker.  

Indeed, some of the pieces clearly reflected Nelson's aesthetic, given that he specialised in American realist modern art depicting realistic scenes from American life in strong, bold colours.

However, Torres says that no matter where the inspiration comes from, all the pieces still at heart carry the BONIA principle.

"Our philosophy is that every single item must be functional, stylish, high quality and craftsmanship, and most importantly, it must have the BONIA soul," said Torres.

"I am proud of this family, because with every collection, we are trying to create new volumes."

Torres has been at BONIA for more than three years now, and says that every day is a new day for him and the team.

"Every day is a challenge, every day we are thinking about what to present to our customers," he said.

Torres' mind is already on the next collection and his starting point remains the same, with BONIA's leather makers.

"We are always looking for ways to twist the leather more," he said.

He says that eventually though, size will matter.

"The big trend is coming is more about the minimalist look, and in terms of bags, we will go more into the big sizes," he said.

It has been an interesting few years for Torres. During that time, BONIA has made its presence known online and expanded its horizons.

"So many things have happened in the past three years, and I am waiting for more," Torres finishes with a smile.