Inside our Workshop: Recycled Denim and How our Bags get Made
Posted by Mary Bosibori on
Our workshop is super busy as we prepare our new collection.
Second-hand denim
A few collections ago (Honey and Spice), we made a limited edition of denim bags that sold out overnight. They were made by recycling/upcycling denim skirts and jeans that we’d bought at second-hand markets in Nairobi.
Due to their popularity, we are creating another limited edition of recycled denim bags for our new collection.
We thought we’d let you into our workshop and show you how our bags get made.
First, ideas and drawingsA prototype is made using Ugandan bark cloth. Then modifications are made. This is the longest part of the process as getting the proportions right and establishing which fittings are to be used is essential. Fittings are crucial as they can make or break a bag! The bag will then be made again using the bark cloth. This image shows a bark cloth prototype with corrections noted for the second sample.
Once the second prototype is approved and Adèle is 100% certain of the design and our tailors give the technical go-ahead, the bag is then made with the final material (leather, kuba cloth, kitenge, denim etc.)
Stay tuned for more inside peeks at how a collection comes together.
