repairing for resilience
As someone who restores loved luxury bags, I often notice that damage doesn’t begin with dramatic accidents, but from every day life.
A sudden rain showers.
A leaking water bottle
A coffee spill.
A bag placed on a wet Café chair.
These ordinary moments slowly shake the life of an objets. While luxury bags are designed with exceptional craftsmanship and beautiful materials, many remain vulnerable to the reality of daily use.
This question became particularly clear during a recent trip to Copenhagen. I was carrying one of my restored Hermès bags when an unexpected rain shower arrived. I wasn’t bothered by the rain myself, but really started to concern about protecting the bag from the rain. An idea hit me,“I can’t be the only one bothered.” Perhaps restoration should do more than repairing the damage. Would it be cool if I could make it more resilient towards future damages? Yes, that’s it.
Resilience.
Recently I came across Loro Piana’s Rain System® cashmere. The cashmere remains recognizably cashmere while gaining the waterproof functionality - soft, refined but resistant to changing weather conditions.
Lora Piana’s umbrella crafted with a smooth maple-wood handle and a water-repellent canopy
I found it fascinating.
What if I restore a Hermès Garden Party with a weather-resistant textile? Could decorative lace become water repellent without losing its aesthetic? Maybe material innovation is another form of object care?
A protective cover designed to extend the everyday life of a luxury object
We have spent decades making outdoor clothing lighter, stronger and more weather resistant. Yet most luxury handbags, especially those made from canvas, suede, heavy embroidery, or delicate leather or textile, remain vulnerable to the everyday life conditions.
These questions are the beginning of my growing material research that investigate textiles and surface intervention capable of extending the everyday life of luxury objects, as well as preserving the their original visual language. From waterproof cashmere to hydrophobic lace and protective surface treatment, I want to study how material innovation and intervention can become part of the Object Care.
Last but not least, how do we really help luxury live longer in the real world?