Women Leaders are key to Italian Design Inspiration for Caterina Lucchi

Caterina Lucchi designer handbags, were designed to be a compliment to a personality that like to be a protagonist in her worlds – someone who was a mover and a shaker.  These characteristics are highlighted with  texture by mixing and matching sheraling, wool, washed leather, embossed leather and a polished vachetta.  The designers use natural earthy colors,  in fact there is a coupling of elements that which is a perfect mix between rugged and elegant. Easily identified with the Caterina Lucchi trademark – a super sized tassel that hangs from almost each one of the designs – or the Caterina Lucchi logo which is embroidered on the inside of the bags. In any case, these leather handbags are unmistakable! Simply look for a design that sends the message – Look at me! I was made in Italy!

What could be more attractive in washed leather than a Campomaggi bag? Only Caterina Lucchi captures the essence of the leather like Campomaggi and transforms it into a master piece with a feminine touch. These Italian leather handbags use the same material that goes into the internationally sought washed leather Campomaggi business bags, messenger bags and overnight totes. Yet the final result is distinctly for women only! Caterina Lucchi, started business in 1986.  It was obvious that  the masterminds behind Campomaggi had decided that it was time to created a second personality.  As appealing as their rugged appearance was, the designing fashion world wanted something different grace a female form.  Caterina Lucchi designer Italian leather handbags were the answer, finally a bag that the ladies could call all their own.

Catterina Lucchi washed leather designer handbags and tote bags are designed to utilize the much appreciated look of a leather that has a vintage appeal. The assembly of these Italian leather handbags is essentially the sames as the procedure used for their masculine counterpart. The bags are cut and assembled and then aged with their very own secret process. All of the hardware has an antique look to it which naturally compliments the colors and texture of the leather.

Perhaps one of the major distinguishing points between Campomaggi and Caterina Lucchi are the seasons. The Caterina Lucchi desiger bags are frequently appearing in new shades and variations of a theme. The bags for SS 2013 are already in the stores and you will find pastel colors and vintage inspired textures including soft shades of pink and biege – a stark contrast to last winters bold colors in green, rust and blue.

Are you one of those who Caterina Lucchi identifies as “creating her own world?”

Working from the inside out, the skeleton of a leather handbag

Marco, at Pierotucci Italian leather factory is working on one of the Toscanella leather handbags. As you can see he has assembled the lining first, starting with the characteristic 100% all cotton striped lining, padded with a ridge protection and reinforcement.  You can see how the front flap has already been attached.  The bags are sewn and then turned inside out so that the striped lining will be evident on the interior of the genuine Italian leather handbags.

Marco prepares the linings first, working from the inside out towards the genuine Italian leather shell.

Once the linings are prepared the will be inserted in the the prepared leather bag and then sewn into place, and the final product will be available . . .

What is a messenger bag and where did it come from?

The convenience of a messenger bag  was initially for those working in high and uncomfortable places.  In fact, the original design of the messenger can be traced back to the utility lineman’s bag from the 1950′s,  constructed by De Martini Globe Canvas Company.  The necessity of keeping their hands free is exactly the reason that it has incorporated itself so easily into everyday use.  Made from a heavy durable canvas – the style has transformed into fashion statement and some of the most notable designs, with space for iPads, Smartphones and Kindles are made from genuine Italian leather.  The idea of being able to keep your necessities close by – yet giving you free movement makes this the ideal accessory.

A style that has practical origins has made it self into a fashion statement for both men and women. Originally conceived for bike messengers and postal workers, this leather bag is normally characterized with an adjustable cross body shoulder strap that allows for the bag to rest comfortably on ones lower back or side while handling a bicycle.

Though handbags are often considered just a women’s accessory, one can not deny that with a “hands free bag”  works just as well for men and the things won’t fit into jacket and pant pockets.  Campomaggi for example has turned this functional bag into a washed leather accessory and though their designs typically cater towards the men these Campomaggi bags have funneled there way into many a ladies heart. These Campomaggi bags use washed leather to give them a rugged, almost country look. The cross body characteristic of the messenger bag is what made it so innovative when it first appeared on the market half a century ago and is what keeps it so functional in today’s world. Change the size of the bag, hang it on your back or on your side, or even more positioned towards the front – but as long as it has that cross body strap it will be considered a off spring of the ever famous messenger bags.

There are also the Toscanella leather messenger bags for men and women which utilizes 7 different colors of vegetable tanned leather. Each and everyone of these bags are handcrafted in Florence Italy with genuine leather. The unisex messenger bags offer several options like an adjustable leather or canvas strap, the possibility of customization and monogramming and cotton lining. In addition, these quality Italian leather bags all come with their own protective cloth bag for storage purposes.

Wouldn’t you love the thrill of exploring a 007 spy leather briefcase?

The classical characteristics of a business bag normally focus on the primary use of carrying around one’s business in a suitable and organized method.   Therefore in makes sense that a business bag will be as diverse as the many user’s themselves.  Some leather bags will want lots of compartments where they can store each item on its own, some leather briefcases will lean towards just one large space  – don’t forget you will have those who want tons of pockets for pens, phones, calculators, camera’s and more and those that prefer a lightweight, slim bag so that it looks more like a prop than it does a piece of equipment to be used.  Whatever its ultimate design – it is always considered a necessity.

Perhaps one of the more classic types of briefcases includes the classic Italian leather business bag with a comfortable rolled top handle and a convenient removable / adjustable should strap. These elegant models go as back as those lovely black and white photos showing the “working” man coming and going to the office – a box shape with a click to open and close, were slowly replaced with a less rigid model featuring flap over tops and button lock closures. The old-fashion rigid box frame briefcases usually  bring to mind James Bond 007 and the  spyworld or something similarly devious, where as the softer models from leather represent the sharp business person, who dresses to impress – maybe even a doctor.

With the rising number of women in the office who were there to wheel and deal, designers were forced to create new looks that were appealing to both genders.  Perhaps the emergence of female counterparts forced the designer market to accept the fact that a briefcase – though it must be functional – was a growing fashion accessories . . . for both the male and female.

A true women’s business bag will make the leap from work to play, from formal to casual, from necessary to fashion accessory in the blink of an eye. Literally it must serve a sa briefcase one moment and a leather handbag the next.

Texture, shape, comfort and elegance have taken on a new importance in the projection of and construction of a leather briefcase. Attention to details, color combinations, cut and hardware have become just as as focal as how many pockets, will it hold my iPad3 and is there room for my adapters / folders / samples.

Once fashion stepped in, it was obvious that Italian leather was not only the first choice because of its quality, durability and excellent craftsmanship but also due to the wide range of colors, textures such as embossed and saffiano finishes and most certainly for its intrinsic elegance and beauty. An Italian leather briefcase or business bag breathes a quality of success into the user. It speaks of tradition, of experience and of know how . . . and where would business be without these things.

Is your Nappalan leather jacket really genuine leather?

The design of the jacket is gorgeous,  the fit is perfect and the color is exactly what you want but, when you look at the label and it says made with nappalan – and you begin to wonder “are you really getting genuine leather?”

The answer is a resounding YES.

Nappalan is the process that leather – more specifically suede leather – goes through to produce a finished product that has a soft, silky feel to it.

The word suede leather comes from the French phrase gant de Suède which literally means gloves from Sweden.  Apparently the Swedes were well known in the late 1800′s as some of the first to produce gloves out of a distinctly soft and specialized leather – thus this is why the French attributed this type of leather with the word Suède.   Suede is nothing less than the flesh side of the skin (in many cases lambskin though it can be calf or goat as well) that has been rubbed till it has a velvety nap to it.  Since suede leather is deprived of the more durable exterior skin layer, it is less resistant however the up side is that it is much softer than standard (“full-grain”) leather.

Nappalan is created  when this side has been treated with a special process.  The suede leather is finished with either a clear or colored coating that will leave either a matte, or in some cases a shiny look.  The final result is a piece of leather that comes close to a silk-like texture.  This flesh-side finishing process enhances the appearance, the texture and the use of the leather making it ideal for leather jackets.

We use nappalan for jackets that are both lightweight and where the design requires the final product to have a flowing effect. M. Galli, Pierotucci Master Leather Craftsman

Click on image to get a close-up of the Nappalan leather.

Nappalan is considered a “precious” leather and is superbly soft  often with a pigmented coating.  Note the lovely colors available for leather jackets for men and women with matte colors such as bordeaux, green and blu.  As for the care of this type of leather, it is expected that after a certain amount of wear, some of the surface finish will shed; leaving a distressed appearance. This is considered a normal and desired effect of Nappalan since it will enhance the suppleness of the skin even though it adds a rugged, natural appearance to the leather. It should be well noted that this type of  leather will not benefit from the application of any after care products.

Step by Step, a work of art in progress

Sometimes it looks all too easy, a couple of stitches here, a couple of snipes there and you have it: a work of art like none other. But the reality is that the creation of any work of art requires a skill, just like that of our the craftsmen and women who work at Pierotucci Italian Leather Factory. They have been trained by a master craftsman who has been working at Pierotucci for over 40 years. Passing down a skill, a trade, an art that was once passed down to him in a similar way. Below is a little collage of some of the steps in creating one of the newest additions to our the FORTUNATA Italian Leather Handbag Collection, the patchwork model.  At work is Marco attaching the lining for the side pockets of the tote bag, then you have Renza cleaning out lose threads after the side zip was put into place, and in the end you can see Marco working on attaching the rolled handles.  Each and everyone of these steps takes place right here at the Pierotucci Factory, which is open to the public for tours of our leather factory.
Each phase of production of an Italian leather handbag requires skill and attention.

From this . . . . to that . . . the transformation of an Italian masterpiece

In Florence there is a little tale they tell of Michelangelo when he was working on the marble masterpiece of “Davide”.  The story tells of how someone came in while the great sculptor was pulling out the piece of art hidden within the marble and the interloper made the comment that the nose was a little too big on this mammoth statue.  It then goes on to tell how Michelangelo  climbed the ladder with the hammer and chisel, made the movement and sounds of chipping away at the smooth white stone and then let a little marble dust float out of his hand.  At that point he then looked at the critical observer with a tilt of the head, as if to ask “and now?”  The person nodded their head – and said – “now it’s perfect.”

That is not a customization, but it should be a hint as to what you are asking when you request  the craftsman to change their work of art.  You are asking to transform an Italian masterpiece.

But, unlike Micheangelo, our craftsman understand that their masterpieces are meant to be used and that they need to be practical, functional and useful.

Our happy shopper A.S. from Switzerland came to us with an idea about a leather business bag from the Tucci Collection she had fallen in love with on our site. It was the size she needed, it had all the pockets she needed, it was the perfect “war bag” for her business.  BUT, she required some modifications so that she could easily carry all of her necessary items, and she wanted a quality bag, hand crafted with all the trimmings, but without the fancy designer label potentially putting off her prospective clients.

Step by step, the bag took shape. Our master craftsman, Marco Galli has been designing and making bags for most of his adult life, and he knows exactly what will work and what won’t. So for example, when A.S. said she wanted the shoulder strap to be attached at the sides, he immediately knew that this would not work for this kind of bag. It has two gussets and when the shoulder strap would be in use, then the shape and form of the bag would be contorted in such a way that would be ugly and unsafe for the design. So he suggested that the strap be attached to the back and this worked perfectly.

1)  We converted a masculine style bag, into a more feminine, versatile bag which oozes charm and sophistication at every angle.

2)  The top handle was eliminated.

3)  We took away the two shoulder straps and replaced them with rolled leather handles that were long enough for them to be slipped over the wrist for a more elegant and feminine carrying option.

4)  We added a much longer detachable shoulder strap which can be comfortable over one shoulder or used as a cross body bag.

The whole concept of the bag has gone from masculine to feminine with just a few tweaks and for only a nominal fee for the extra work and leather, A.S. has a bag that will take her to every business meeting for a very long time. She was absolutely thrilled, and took the time to write to us and praise us on a job well done.

Even fully loaded, as you can see in the picture I made, it holds its form beautifully.  Your craftspeople are to be congratulated on a great concept and job well done.

We try to accommodate every customised request, some we can do, others not. Pierotucci is one of the finest Florentine factories in Tuscany and they go that extra mile in trying to satisfy the needs of the customer, be it colour and type of leather, length of handles or monogramming.

What’s up at on the drawing board at Pierotucci today? #leatherbags

Making the cut is the first step to a quality leather handbag or, in the case, messenger bag. Using a genuine soft grain leather with an embossed pattern which we call buffalo,  you can see Marco in the first part measuring out the pattern pieces of this men’s messenger bag which he will then hand-cut with his coltello.  He will examine each hide that he lays out for the a homogeneous color and no unusual markings.  Normally a piece of leather in this style will have a uniform color – but to assure a high quality finished product special attention is paid to every step, his quick eye will notice if there are any strange or accented marking that will be too obvious once the bag is assembled.

After all the pieces have been assembled they are passed over to Renato, who has worked years in the area of prepping the pattern pieces for the final assembly. This messenger bag that they are cutting (1288-BU) is the large size and that means that the larger pieces of leather need an interior support to be sure they maintain their form in use.  Renato adds a feather-light adhesive support to all major components of this bag – you could say that he is adding a little bit of skeleton support to this messenger bag.  Once this step is done it will pass over to our leather craftswomen (and man) who work on assembling and sewing the bag together.

What’s in Production today at Pierotucci?

Each handbag goes through 4 phases before it can be checked at quality control, and packed up for storage in the warehouse.

First the leather, lining and in this case the canvas accents needs to be cut.  Secondly, all cut pieces of leather need to be sealed, pressed, punched with holes and sanded down.  Third on the list is the accessories for each bag need to be counted out, this includes the zips, the straps, the snaps and handles.  The last step is the assembly of the bag – starting from the inside out – each bag is composed by putting together first the lining, then the leather casing and finally all accessories and name plates.

In this photo you can see Marina working on the outer panels of the our Toscanella canvas and Italian leather tote with removable shoulder straps.

When a description is all you got to go on

A photo is certainly what will catch your eye faster than a wordy or detailed title, but if you are going to buy you need to read in between the illusions in the title and the hype in the description.  A good product description is absolutely a must !  Of course there are those who will play with innuendos and double meanings in a description in order to hood you but then once you get your package – rip open the box and pull it out . . .  there is always that tell tale slump of the shoulders, turn at the mouth and general sense of disappointment because you “thought” you read one thing, the picture seemed to show you what you were reading yet the final product just doesn’t match up.

We were recently pulled into this drama while flipping through runway photos of the new FW 2013 lines of several top designers when we found a bag that we just adored.  Particularly appealing was the use of contrasting colors and the design was reminiscent of Bottega Veneta, Cosci (now defunct)  and Pierotucci.  We downloaded the photo to use in a blog post – similar to this one.  But then today – another photo (different angle) of the same product opened our eyes to the fundamental difference . . . and this is where a detailed ACCURATE description makes all the difference.

The second photo labeled the bag as a braided leather effect.  First off, braided leather? Is English their first language? When I checked out the Webster definition

Braided = Interlace three or more strands of (hair or other flexible material) to form a length

. . . and

Weave:   interlacing long threads passing in one direction with others at a right angle to them.  When I was 9, I would braid my hair and it in no way resembled this Givenchy pocket clutch.

Close up of the embossed leather – effect weave.

The second thing was the use of the word “effect.”

Have a look at the photo and the truth comes out.  From the point of view of the above image it appears as if there are actually two different pieces being put together.

But alas, with the wonders of modern photgraphy AND with these up close images on the web sites I was actually able to see that the word effect was just another way of saying – embossed!  It was a printed weave effect on the bag, not even a true weave.  This purchase would have 100% resulted in one very unhappy shopper.

Looking at the detail you can even see that the paint job was a little haphazard – only making you really wonder how long the color would last with continual use of the bag.

From the photo I would have thought that the final product was closer to a Cosci leather handbag.  If you lool at the photo of the designer handbag below you can actually see the two different pieces.

Last year Toscanella Italian leather accessories came to the market with a weave using three different colors  in a weave to create a unique one of a kind image.  There are four different color patterns, using a terracotta chamios intertwined with 2 of the seven main colors of vegetable tanned leather.  Now this is a true weave and one where the colors will truly stand up to the test of time.

Close up view of the Toscanella three color weave.