Personally crafted leather handbag
Towards the end of my apprenticeship with Mulberry, I was tasked with using all the knowledge I had gained to create my own handbag from scratch. I was to design, gather materials, cut, glue, ink, embroider, stitch and add finishing touches. I had one month to complete and present it.
My first task was to design the bag's net to fit into the specific size needed for the CAD machine later on. I started with a mood-board and mindmap to help get me inspired.
Once I had a clear idea in mind, I fit it to the size specification and made the embroidery design fit onto the front flap.
My bag would use a chromium tanned brown leather, this method would create a shiny, smooth texture, the same kind of leather Mulberry use in their own bags. The design would feature a bed of embroidered white, cream and ivory roses on the front flap.
I also used the same opening component as other Mulberry handbags, for example, the Amberly bag. These clasps came in a variety of metallic colours, I chose a soft-gold as It would act as a statement piece without taking away from the main focal point, being the flowers.
Ultimately, I had to leave out the frilly edges on the design because it would be far too difficult to cut, stitch and ink. I also think the end result looks far better and smoother without the frill. It has a 'less is more' quality.
I had the choice of using a strap, chain or neither for the carry method. I took the leather strap as it is the most comfortable and stylish choice.
We then joined a CAD workshop where we learned how to use the Zund machine, which cut out the card template we would use to help cut the leather accurately. We also learned how to use the design software for the embroidery machine. I found this part very enjoyable and would love to use it again to create more designs in the future.
I used a pre-designed pattern and selected a section that was similar to the design I had in mind. I then edited it to fit my vision and set it up ready for the embroidery machine.
While the embroidery machine did it's work, I stamped, inked and stitched a pocket to fit inside the handbag. I chose a soft-gold again for my name stamp to match the clasp on the front. I used a dark brown ink to hide the interlinings, as is standard with Mulberry bags. I also used dark brown threads as a stylistic choice, as a contrasted colour would look too harsh. A dark brown is also good at hiding mistakes (not that I made any ;)).
The final construction of the bag was quick and with the help of the technicians, I was able to assemble the bag at a similar pace I would have on the factory floor.
I was incredibly happy with the end result of the project. My bag was full of my personality and look's fantastic with a lot of my outfits, regardless of season. If I had more time, I would have experimented with embossing the leather. I looked into the possibility of embossing, however with the time and experience I had, it was too short to combine both embroidery and embossed leather and I would have needed a lot more support from the technicians.
I learned a lot about 2D to 3D skills on this project and would love to take that further. I was incredibly fond of developing my design, especially using CAD to my advantage. The technicians were incredibly helpful and fun to be around on this project and made it an even more enjoyable experience. I hope to be able to engage in projects like this in the future at university or with more design companies.
I took it upon myself to model the bag with help from my sister, to really show off the colours and how it could be potentially styled.
