Month February 2016

Leather Tanning, A Commitment To Be More Environmentally Friendly

Take a journey with me and think about your last visit to your favorite luxury leather handbag shop. Like a five star meal where many of your senses are heightened by the texture, smell and sight that only leather can bring about. Touching leather is a sensual experience like no other. Caressing your fingers across leather allows you to feel both the perfections and imperfections of the skin, the cut edges that have been smoothed and tanned to feel baby soft, the texture of the hide that has gone through various processes to prepare for the hands of the artisan. The astonishing smells of leather that trigger powerful memories and bonding us to the earthy, natural smells of Mother Earth; leather consumers LOVE the smell of leather. And finally, the look of leather, just like snowflakes; every hide has its own beautiful distinct shape, pattern, and how it takes dyes. When we make decisions based on the design elements and colors of our products, our commitment to working with methods that are environmentally friendly is to use more manufactures that have sustainable processes. One area that we have made this commitment has to do with the tanning and dying processes of our leathers. We focus on two methods: purchasing from tanneries and wholesalers that produce vegetable tanned leather; or when doing the dying ourselves, using water based stains and dyes (using one solid color or mixing dyes to obtain a unique look such as our pearl-toned handbags). Vegetable tanning is an old world process that uses tannin that comes naturally in the bark, branches, leaves and even the fruit of many plants. The raw hides are soaked in large pits for several weeks in increasing concentrations of tannin until the hide becomes leather. Depending on the goal of the tannery, […]

How Buying From A Small Luxury Company Can Make A Difference

When you buy something special to treat yourself or someone else, what are you looking for? Chances are, you don’t shop for that luxury item the way you would buy groceries or toiletries or cleaning products. No, when you look for something special, you want to take your time to choose something that speaks to you. You want to buy something that is one of a kind or at least not mass produced. You want to buy something that was made with care, and that you know will last. You want something that will stand the test of time. That’s why, when you buy something to treat yourself, you should consider a small luxury company. A small luxury company cares. Because they are a small company, they will make a special effort to produce something with love and care, and utmost attention to detail and quality craftsmanship. They want to make sure their customer is happy with the product or service, so that he or she will return in the future. A small company may not have the advertising budget that large companies have, so they rely on referrals and word of mouth. That’s another reason why they want to make the customer happy. A small luxury company is willing to work hard for your business. They will bend over backwards for you, and go out of their way to make sure your transaction was perfect. They will listen to your suggestions as a customer, and actually take them the boardroom for further discussion, rather than sweep them under the rug. A small luxury company will put time and effort into each piece to ensure that it is perfect. They won’t let a less than stellar piece slip out the door, because they know their reputation is on the line. […]

It’s Cold – Get Outside!

Brrr! It’s cold in North America this time of year, especially in Detroit, where we’re located. With Christmas and the holidays over, and with many weeks of winter left to come, it can get somewhat depressing this time of year. Most of us just want to turn up the thermostat, light a fire in the fireplace, and bundle up in our favorite woolly sweaters and drink a hot chocolate. But wait! It doesn’t have to be depressing this winter. Depending on where you are located, winter happens from a few months to half the year every year, so you might as well take advantage of it. And winter doesn’t have to mean a death sentence for your sense of style. In fact, many fashionistas have learned to embrace the cold and the snow and make their winter wear and winter activities part of their style. You don’t have to be especially outdoorsy or nature-oriented to enjoy this time of year. There are lots of things you can do to keep active this time of year. Read on for our favorites! Take to the trails or to the slopes Whether you prefer cross-country skiing or taking your adventures to great heights, skiing is a very popular activity in the winter. Head to Colorado, north to the Canadian Rockies or to Switzerland for some world-class skiing. Believe us, nothing screams luxury lifestyle like heading out for a day on the slopes and then sipping champagne or hot cocoa by the fire in your private ski lodge afterwards. Go somewhere warm Whether you head to Hawaii, the Caribbean or Los Angeles, a trip somewhere toasty warm is luxurious in the wintertime. Be sure to accessorize with warm-weather accessories, like a killer bathing suit, a bespoke luxury leather handbag from our current collection, and […]

What To Buy Your Love On Valentine’s Day

Love is in the air as that time of the year is approaching again. The onset of February means Valentine’s Day. February 14 is one of the most built-up days of the year. Thanks to the candy and card companies, who turned a 15th century priest’s story into a commercial holiday, we can’t go anywhere without seeing pink, red and white hearts everywhere, ads for chocolate, jewelry and other luxury items, and the expectation that men are supposed to shower their partners with jewels. It’s a day that requires deep pockets of some whose lady loves are expecting a materialistic declaration of love. Still, if you want to keep the peace – and earn big points at the same time – there’s certainly no harm in spoiling your Valentine with a little surprise. If you’re single, you may want to indulge yourself on this day. After all, as the luscious blonde in those hair dye commercial says, “you’re worth it!” Here are some gift ideas for your sweetheart – or yourself. Give the gift of gorgeous blooms Whether you present her with a bouquet of flowers, or a single red rose to declare your love, make sure you get to the florist early. Remember that everyone and their cousin will be racing to the florist on February 14, so if you want to avoid being stuck with a bunch of wilted, left over blooms, you’ll want to order early. A word of warning: the markup on flowers on this day will be insane, so be prepared. I Chocolates and candy Whether you buy your Valentine chocolates from a fancy chocolatier, or the drugstore, the sentiment is the same, but try to splurge if you can – maybe she will share with you! And chocolate is, after all, an aphrodisiac. Diamonds […]