Mars 2021
Handcrafted by Edward de Lacy.
Mars [ mahrz ]
noun
2. Astronomy. the planet fourth in order from the sun, having a diameter of 4222 miles (6794 km), a mean distance from the sun of 141.6 million miles (227.9 million km), a period of revolution of 686.95 days, and two moons.
Inspired by an imaginary vision of a dark dystopian future. From Mars the super rich control the rest of the human race which are now living as slaves on the planet and its two Moons, producing luxury supplies and fuel. Colour has become property of the super rich, worn as a sign of their power, wealth and identification. By strict law any enslaved human found wearing or harbouring colour faces unimaginable consequences.
Mars 2021 features vibrant and tonal coloured leathers.
A bright tangerine orange has been used to represent Mars as a planet. The leather is made in Italy from Buffalo hides which have a thickness of 2.5mm but have a soft and supple handle with a natural pebble grain matt finish.
Luxury bright red hair on cow hide from Italy is used to represent the fictional super rich inhabiting Mars. The leather has a supremely silky handle and vibrant pop colour that can only be achieved by using a hair on hide leather.
Grey luxury Italian 'Cavallini' hair on cow hide from Edelman and black 'Elmogrand' leather from Sweden's Elmo tannery are used with custom matt black powder coated hardware. Representing the enslaved human race in this fictional dystopian future.
Process.
A number of designs are now made with super soft opulent Italian pig skin suede linings and finished by hand with Italian water based leather edge paint.
The pig skin suedes like all the leathers I use are sourced from a reputable UK supplier. The thickness is quite thin at around 0.5mm but this is just enough to add more structure the the designs but above all a much higher level of luxury and elegance. I love the playfulness of the contrasting pop colours achieved by lining the bags in suede.
Around 18 months research was undertaken to find the correct paint for the leather edges, many of the edge paints on the market have lots of chemicals in them. On my quest I stubbled upon an Italian company, Giardini Group which had recently developed a high quality water based edge paint.
Finishing the leather edges by hand is a long but rewarding process that has taken around 6 months to master. First 1-2 base coats are added to once dried the edges are sanded back with fine grit paper before the final colour finish is applied. The paint has great elasticity and a slick smooth matt finish. Not only does the paint produce a stunning aesthetic, its also seals the edges protecting them from moisture and wear and tear.
