Are coloured leather goods acceptable for men?

[LabelKing]

Originally Posted by rach2jlc

I remember watching a show highlighting great estates being sold by Christies and a house in Aspen also had a room lined entirely in ostrich. I'm sure Hermes did it a little more subtly than they did, but overall I'm with you and RJ that too much ostrich looks a little scary... I think leather walls are sort of fascinating, but that much ostrich just didn't fly. As for other weird leathers, in Japan I saw some small shops that had all sorts of wildly exotic things. Some were vintage and probably illegal to sell and/or carry in most of the world (and cost more than my car), but suppressing the animal lover in me for a few minutes was a rewarding experience. Also, a friend's father told me that samurai swords, for example, had handles traditionally covered in sharkskin or stingray because of its durability and strength.
In Sunset Blvd, Erich von Stroheim's character notes that his dressing rooms used to have patent leather walls. It would be appropriate. These shops in Japan sound fascinating. I've read that the Japanese are particularly large consumers of exotic luxury goods, and they even have an indigenous tortoise-shell industry although since raw materials are drying up, the industry is slowing down. Also, it seems there are numerous Japanese manufacturers that do exotic skin bags and furs. I've also seen sharkskin used on Chinese swords. Some of the emperor's swords I've seen even had the scabbards done in the bark of a particular peach-tree.

 

[LabelKing]

Originally Posted by RJman

I agree. I had an Hermes ostrich-skin strap for my watch which was nice, but otherwise ostrich in large areas looks vaguely diseased. I do have an ostrich-leg vase which is nice. Looks a bit like croco.
Here's an ostrich skin messenger bag by the ubiquitous Dunhill:

It's almost as ugly as their logoed dross. More hideous mess from the aptly named Billionaire Couture:

These things encompasses everything that is wrong about exotic hides.

 

[rach2jlc]

^Yikes, those are some ugly items. That Dunhill bag looks like it has the measles. And the idea of having an ostrich or crocodile umbrella sounds really ludicrous to me; like having cashmere galoshes or something...

As for Japan, yes, traditional Japanese items were often made from exotic animals and so that's carried over into accessories these days. There is a fairly thriving network of small artisans who you can commission for bespoke bags and such in all sorts of hides (my best friend's wife's father is such a guy... I've received a number of small gifts from them in interesting skins and I already have an idea for what I want him to make me when I have the $$$). In any case, what's interesting is that these artisans don't have large, fancy workshops... they just work out of a small room in their house, just like their father did, and his father, etc etc. Obviously, in Tokyo it is probably different, but Tokyo is sort of like its own planet. I'm thinking more outside of Tokyo and in the rest of Japan.

Anyway, this use of exotic materials is why most of the traditional things you see professionals use (from tea ceremony masters to musicians) are all antiques. This past summer I went to a shamisen concert and the performer was telling us how there really was no such thing as a "real" shamisen made recently because real ones had a drum covered in dog leather, strings made from some animals intestines (can't remember which... but it wasn't something normal), ivory tuning pins, and a large pick that looked like an ice scraper made from sea-turtle shell.

 

[iyorito]

Originally Posted by LabelKing

In Sunset Blvd, Erich von Stroheim's character notes that his dressing rooms used to have patent leather walls. It would be appropriate.

These shops in Japan sound fascinating. I've read that the Japanese are particularly large consumers of exotic luxury goods, and they even have an indigenous tortoise-shell industry although since raw materials are drying up, the industry is slowing down. Also, it seems there are numerous Japanese manufacturers that do exotic skin bags and furs.

I've also seen sharkskin used on Chinese swords. Some of the emperor's swords I've seen even had the scabbards done in the bark of a particular peach-tree.

Dear LabelKing,

Do you know this make?:

http://www.fugee.jp/gallery.html

Unbelieable quality, probably best in Japan

 

[iyorito]

While the there are many extremely skilled artisans here in Japan, it is often very difficult to obtain the raw materials of best quality. Kind of a shame.

 

[rach2jlc]

Originally Posted by iyorito

While the there are many extremely skilled artisans here in Japan, it is often very difficult to obtain the raw materials of best quality. Kind of a shame.

Given the huge rise in consumerism of luxury goods over the past decade, I'd say that's probably happening all over the world.

I've never heard of the above link, but I have no doubts its a very good maker. In Tokyo, as I said I'm not sure, but outside of it often places with a store front or a house brand (like "fugee") would take orders and such in its brick&mortar location and then send the orders to the smaller workshops around the country to be made by the older artisans. This is what my friend's father did; you could place orders directly with him, but obviously he wouldnt' have enough orders himself to make a decent living, so he also was a part of a network that worked for a larger company/store (I can't remember which... who knows... it may have even been Fugee as some of the goods I saw in his workshop looked a lot like those on the webpage).

 

[iyorito]

Dear rach2jlc,

Fugee, they say, do not outsource their work, but makes like
http://www.mansaw.net/
do. Awesome quality and very reasonable price.

 

[LabelKing]

Originally Posted by iyorito

Dear LabelKing, Do you know this make?: http://www.fugee.jp/gallery.html Unbelieable quality, probably best in Japan
I'm not familiar with this maker though the products on the webpage look beautiful. It seems to me that some of these makers might make goods equal in quality to Hermes.

Originally Posted by iyorito

While the there are many extremely skilled artisans here in Japan, it is often very difficult to obtain the raw materials of best quality. Kind of a shame.
I've read that Japan has tried to petition the international animal commissions to lift the embargo over tortoise-shells. Cuba has the world's largest store of old hawksbill turtle shells which are sitting in warehouses because they can't be exported; Japan used to be the largest consumer of the raw shells.

 

[rach2jlc]

Just thought I'd choose this thread to make my 1000th post...

 

[stickonatree]

casualwear, yes. businesswear, no.

 

[Rolo]

 

[iyorito]

Originally Posted by LabelKing

I'm not familiar with this maker though the products on the webpage look beautiful. It seems to me that some of these makers might make goods equal in quality to Hermes.



I've read that Japan has tried to petition the international animal commissions to lift the embargo over tortoise-shells. Cuba has the world's largest store of old hawksbill turtle shells which are sitting in warehouses because they can't be exported; Japan used to be the largest consumer of the raw shells.

Talk about quality equal to Hermes, Serge Amoruso www.sergeamoruso.com I think qualifies in terms of both materials and making. Design, I don't know

Tortoise-shells, people seem to appreciate quite a bit here, is it the same in the west??

 

[LabelKing]

Originally Posted by iyorito

Talk about quality equal to Hermes, Serge Amoruso www.sergeamoruso.com I think qualifies in terms of both materials and making. Design, I don't know

Tortoise-shells, people seem to appreciate quite a bit here, is it the same in the west??
Yes, the design of the Fugee pieces seem better. These get a bit loud.

I don't feel there's as much appreciation in America for tortoise-shell; the French seem very appreciative of the beauty of the material, probably for cultural and historical reasons. They were one of the masters of the material in the 17th and 18th centuries for furniture and small luxury goods.

Here is a French maker with some stunning pieces:

http://www.maisonbonnet.com/

 

[LabelKing]

One wonders whether sea-turtle skin is available in China.

 

[iyorito]

Dear LableKing,

With the contamination on their Eastern Seaboard, I doubt it. The pile in Cuba that you had mentioned seems to be still sitting there with no prospect. Stuffs at Maison Bonnet, absolutely beautiful.