Photo by Liz Silvia
The Rho is one of the newest pieces in our collection, a designer’s handbag and a work of modern art—beautiful and architectural. In its conceptual stage The Rho was inspired by the curvilinear sculptural forms of Brancusi, one of our creative director’s favorite artists. By incorporating the handle into the bag itself, the entire silhouette appears as a flat plane, but with dimension. Thin and slim so it doesn’t stick out too far from the body, this polished bag could even be substituted as a small briefcase for the most stylish among us.
Photo by Liz Silvia
Right now in Lotuff’s studio we are beginning the first production run of this sculptural beauty. A feat unto itself, cutting the Rho depends upon the trained and discerning eye of the artisan. The hide chosen needs to be absolutely perfect, without marks, blemishes, or grain inconsistencies, as the pieces of the bag are quite large without any hardware or trimming to detract from the smoothness and quality of the leather. Fully leather-lined, this bag contains twice as many pieces as it otherwise would, meaning that it’s doubly inspected for imperfections to make the interior just as perfect as the exterior.
Photo by Liz Silvia
To ensure the perfect cut, dies are placed on the leather and “clicked” with a press. One of our artisans then marks and matches like pieces before sending them on their way to the next of many steps.
Leave a Comment