Making of & Engagement
RESEARCH & MOODBOARD
Driven by a huge curiosity and fearless by nature, I’ve spent my life traveling at any latitude. From Durbar Square in Bhaktapur to ‘Tender Buttons' in New York, no detail has ever escaped me. Architectural shapes, candy shops, flea markets, hardware stores, Nature, art shows, book shops, people attitudes: any and all of these things are a massive source of inspiration for me. To mix and match ideas on a mood board can be a form of art-making and sometimes a mood board can be a true piece of art. I spend a lot of time stitching and matching the images that inspire me and I really get carried away by collage-making sometimes.
MATERIAL SELECTION & LEATHER
All the materials we use, may they be metallic components, leather or fabrics, are 100% made in Italy from upcycling. We do not ask our suppliers to manufacture parts expressly for us, but use the materials stored in their warehouses and convert them into something valuable. We work 85% on ‘dead stocks’, meaning we use limited quantities that are bound to disposal if not recovered, causing a colossal waste. This approach demands a huge effort in terms of creativity, as each piece is different due to limited supplies. We do not waste energy and water or generate polluting chemicals. All manufacturing scraps are reused for creating our 'piece uniques', according to our designer's creativity. We want to make sure our environmental blueprint is as limited as possible. Leather and fabric are our primary materials, with all leather coming from the food industry. We only rely on Italian suppliers because of their premium quality and of our own ‘Buy Local’ policy. We check every single piece and work with our amazing artisans to manufacture high end items that are made to last. This approach is the result of our designer Margherita inheriting an amazing number of leather bags and coats from her grandma. These items are still incredibly beautiful, something that wouldn’t have happened in our current ‘fast fashion’ landscape.
100% MADE IN ITALY
Our manufacturing process is entirely carried out by our artisans in Italy and the making of a single bag can take up more than 40 hours. We love implementing new techniques or rediscovering traditional ones. Being in close proximity to our manufacturing atelier is a great privilege and opportunity, as it allows us to be in direct contact with our artisans and observe their work and learn from their huge experience. The making of an item begins with a prototype, which requires several days of work. First, we translate our idea into a paper pattern, which is then tested on fabric. Once the final pattern has been singled out, we test it on leather. If everything fits as originally envisioned, we start with the crucial and long phase of cutting: every imperfection is checked before operating. Each bag can feature from 50 to 1000 cuts. Once this step is complete, we proceed to assembling. In case of fringed models, every single fringe is placed manually before sewing. The final sewing phase is performed with a feather, symbolizing trust, honour, strength, wisdom, power and freedom.
