Quality accessories highlight superior craftsmanship

Jun 4 , 2015

An artisan works on a Rejane bag at the Moynat atelier in Paris. Artisans spend hours on the brand's bags, from hand-stitching to hand-polishing.

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Sophisticated clients are drawn to quality accessories that showcase couture techniques

Moynat's creative director, Ramesh Nair, often wonders whether proud owners of his creations are aware of all the "invisible" details that contribute to the maison's subtle luxuriousness. The French leather goods brand's signature smooth-edge finishing requires an artisan to hand-polish the leather fibre before applying a layer of paint, a process that needs repeating seven or eight times.

"Simplicity does not mean a lack of complexity," says Nair at Moynat's atelier, a few blocks from its flagship store on the bustling Rue Saint-Honoré in Paris. "It highlights the workmanship, the materials used and the harmony between the different elements."

Hermès Birkins with diamond settings are hot auction items. They have set records at Christie's auctions.

Luxury bags and shoes are evolving into exclusive, customised objects of desire that are treated with artisanal techniques, from hand-painting to stone setting. Such accessories are quickly becoming prized collectors' pieces.

Christie's luxury handbags and accessories auctions have set record sales for iconic bags such as Hermès' Birkin. Its Hong Kong spring sale on June 1 featured more than 300 luxury bags. Other auction houses taking luxury accessories more seriously include Sotheby's, Poly Auction and Heritage Auctions.

"Collectors are looking for pieces that nobody else has," says Matthew Rubinger, Christie's international director of handbags and accessories.

While the charm of mass-produced "it" bags and shoes is wearing off, sophisticated clients are drawn to quality accessories that highlight craftsmanship.

Moynat's signature mini vanity box. The brand's signature smooth-edge finishing requires an artisan to hand-polish the leather before applying a layer of paint, a process that needs repeating seven or eight times.

"I emphasise the importance of a design philosophy that is timeless and will enable us to evolve and adapt to changing times while retaining the core of what makes the brand special," says Nair, who previously worked at Hermès and Jean Paul Gaultier.

Nair works at the Parisian atelier with eight artisans, many of whom use tools that were inherited or which they invented themselves rather than relying on hi-tech machinery.