Text by Lindsay Wolf*

Inspired by the arm candy that Spartacus sported back in the day, the leather cuff is making a sexy, sophisticated comeback thanks to Owen & Savary, an independent leather accessories brand based in Paris and London.

Painters with a passion for perfect accessories, Kira Owen and Valerie Savary started the company together back in late 2008. “We’re both very much inspired by our travels,” says Owen. “We love to discover new lands, new customs, new people.” This may explain the designers love for exotic animal skins, but why the cuff?

A classic accessory for centuries, the challenge was to create an original, versatile design that leaps off the wrist while blending in with any wardrobe.

“The cuff has been around since the age of gladiators,” Owen explains. With their adjustable clasps, luxurious materials, trademark royal blue linings and artisanal fabrication, Owen and Savary have succeeded in giving the simple strap a thoroughly modern makeover.

Designed to spruce up your jeans by day while adding a kick to your evening attire, they blend with just about anything. Whether you’re wearing the classic Julia (narrower), the Salome (wider), or the Maximilien (for men), the cuff gently molds to your wrist without feeling restrictive thanks to its impeccable design and artisanal fabrication.

Each cuff is made in an atelier in Besançon where leather craftsmen build each piece to order out of an unusual range of colorful exotic skins, from metallic copper lambskin and camel ostrich to midnight blue stingray

The cuff’s genius lies in the clasp’s adjustability. Outfitted with a magnetic center, it’s a cinch to slip on and off. The original design is made from a laser machine to create the sharply cut look of the edges. While this process is more expensive than using a mold, the self-proclaimed perfectionists wouldn’t have it any other way.

In addition to their ready-to-wear collection that can be found at JNSQ and Galerie Kara in Paris, you can order a bespoke cuff by contacting the designers directly through their site. From there, they will work with you to configure the perfect piece to suit your style. The moment the order is submitted, it takes about 3 weeks to produce and receive your cuff.

What’s on the cusp of the cuff? Owen and Savary are busy working on a small series of handbags, chokers, ankle cuffs, key chains and watches.

Prices: 200-1200EUR, depending on choice of material.

Guest writer Lindsay Wolf divides her time between NYC and Paris. For commissions, feel free to contact her at lindsayawolf@gmail.com

Check out my review of artisan umbrella maker Michel Heurtault in the current spring issue of T Magazine.

I heard from Michel earlier today that he’s already been flooded with calls from all over the USA, including Texas curiously enough. I can’t think of anyone who deserves the attention more.

Congratulations Michel! In case you missed it, you can read the full interview with Michel here.

Quickened pulse, dilated eyes, a desperate desire to touch and try. The setting was cold and depressing but it happened nonetheless—I fell head over heels in love.

Wandering among Who’s Next, the stadium-sized fashion and accessories fair this week in Paris, my heart gave out in front of the colorful panoply of Swedish Hasbeens clogs. These were the shoes of my childhood fantasies brought (back) to life. If I didn’t know better, I’d say that the pair of sky-high lipstick red peep toe clogs on display were torn off of Olivia Newton John’s feet during the dance finale of Grease!

Based on a treasure trove of clogs found in the basement of an old Swedish factory, Swedish Hasbeens pick up where the 70s left off. In addition to the classic clogs and t-strap sandles are modern models like belted ankle boots, lovely lace-ups, sexy knee-highs, and sophisticated loafers available in a kaleidoscopic range of colors.

Handmade in Sweden, the chunky-heeled footware is made from sustainably-sourced wood and naturally-dyed grain leather to leave as small of a carbon print as possible. Gotta love those Swedes!

……………

Prices: $200-400
Availability: Click here to shop online, or here for an international shoplist.

I write about some pretty unusual talents on this blog, but couture umbrella maker just might be my rarest find yet. That’s why I’m letting Michel Heurtault, owner of the fabulous umbrella shop, Parasolerie Heurtault, tell the story behind his flabbergasting art.
………….

“I’ve been obsessed with umbrellas from the time I was three. I have no idea why, but I could spend hours breaking them apart and studying how they opened and closed. I collected all of the umbrellas I could find, and by the time I was eight I was repairing them for people in my neighborhood. Needless to say, my parents thought I was nuts.

I moved from Toulon to Paris when I was eighteen and began working as a costume designer. I eventually opened my own company, Art ‘Scene, where I made costumes and corsets for film shoots, theatre productions as well as fashion houses such as Dior. I poured the most luxurious elements into my costumes.

Throughout the same period, I devoted all of my free time to making umbrellas and parasols. I didn’t want to make them in polyester and plastic like everyone else, so I started researching ways to waterproof and UV-protect noble materials, like lace, cotton, silk and linen. Anyone can put fabric on an umbrella, but my signature is to use only the finest materials, experiment with the cut, and handcraft the finishes so that it become a striking object with a soul.

I use an 18th century machine to cut my fabric into eight panels and then bend and shape them to create the curves and silhouette of the umbrella. The fabric needs to be as taught as possible. The sound of the umbrella when it opens, the stretching and tightening until it springs into place is a sign of quality. The more the fabric flutters the more it catches the wind like a sail, causing the umbrella to shake and break.

I do all of the detail and finishing by hand. I pad the ribs and smock the runners with fabric for aesthetic and practical reasons. It unifies the color of the design, prevents rusting, and helps the umbrella open and close more easily

I consider the umbrella to be a fashion accessory. Not only is it a beautiful item to carry in your hand, it gives you instant attitude and allure. I’m always shocked by the number of people who spend a ton of time and energy on their ensemble, but then ruin it with a revolting umbrella.

Instead of a cigarette, you have an umbrella to play with. It’s the final touch to a chic silhouette.

So many women come to me and say that they’d love to carry a parasol, but that it’s not really fashionable. And I tell them, ‘it’s not just about fashion, it’s about personal comfort.’ When you’re under an parasol you don’t sweat as much, you’re makeup doesn’t drip off, you’re not oppressed by the sun, and of course it’s great for protecting your skin.

Umbrellas have been vulgarized as disposable objects. We throw away 10 million per year in France and 33 million in the USA. During your grandmother’s era an umbrella was a luxury object, you bought one every year and when it broke, you had it repaired. I’m not obsessed with the past, I’m just thinking about a future that’s ecologically chic.”

Shop and Atelier Address: 91 Avenue Daumesnil, 75012, Paris
Price: Starting at €300

When Oprah got snubbed by Hermès a few years ago she should have immediately rung Chanel. Not Chanel, as in Coco Chanel, but Guy Chanel (yes, you heard me right).

Guy Chanel is a lone ranger on the high plains of fashion and home accessories. Working alone out of his atelier on the outskirts of Paris, he handcrafts a variety of one-of-a-kind designs using leather, crocodile, ostrich and other fine skins.

From saddles, handbags and wallets to belts, briefcases and even lamps, every Chanel creation is made-to-measure and constructed by hand using artisanal tools and techniques (ask him to show you the giant wooden tweezer he uses to hold small things in place when he sews).

By keeping production slow and steady, his solo operation turns out discreet, logo-less products of unparalleled quality and detail that are built to last several lifetimes.

Before launching out on his own in 1989, Chanel (whose name has no connection to the fashion brand) worked for fifteen years as a saddle maker for Hermès. At the time, everything in the company was made in the atelier above their flagship shop (now only saddles are made there, the rest is done in Pantin). So, when saddles orders were slow, Chanel would jump to bags and belts or any other small accessory that needed expert attention.

When he struck out on his own, this polyvalence set him apart from his peers and helped attract a diverse crowd of fine leather fans, from collectors, interior designers, and fashion stylists, to equestrians and even Michelin-starred chefs.

Unlike most artisans, Chanel caught the craftsman bug not through his family, but via a childhood passion for horses.

“I started riding when I was seven and rode competitively until I was twenty-five. Professionally, I wanted to do something linked to horses. I couldn’t be a jockey, because I was too tall. Veterinary, no, because I wasn’t good enough in school, so, I wound up making saddles.”

While saddles comprise only a quarter of his output today, they remain the heart and soul of his business and have earned him international recognition amongst the equestrian set. Riders from across the world, as well as aficionados that collect them as sculptures, swear by Chanel saddles for their show-stopping blend of comfort, beauty and performance.

“My clients have pretty classical tastes, so they’re more likely to play with color and materials than the design of the object.”

When you can build a saddle from scratch, a watchband may seem like child’s play, but Chanel pours equal attention into every one of his designs. Chanel admits that it takes the same amount of time for him to make a bag as a saddle (forty hours) while wallets belts and cardholders take a tenth of that.

In addition to made-to-measure designs, Chanel can also personalize, refurbish or repair. So if you’ve got a vintage accessory (Birkin or otherwise) that needs fixing up or some expert TLC, Chanel can give it a new lease on life.

…………..

Prices vary depending on complexity of design and materials: handbags (1500-50,000 €); saddles (2800-25,000 €); wallets, card holders, change purses, belts (200-3000€).
Delivery: Count four-eight weeks.
Appointments: Contact me to be put in touch with Guy Chanel.

Photos of atelier by Nicholas Calcott for Paris By Appointment Only™

Erik Halley’s business card should have weekend and weekday descriptions. From Mon-Fri, this adorable Frenchie can be found at his Parisian atelier handcrafting statement-making accessories for the best names in fashion such as Lagerfeld, Yohji, Givenchy and Mugler (to name but a few). But come the weekend, he trades his tools for the turntables as resident DJ of Club Sandwich, the most glamorous and decadent dance party in Paris.

The two jobs go hand in hand, however. The club is not only his front-row seat to the most inspired and eccentric sartorialists in the city, it’s also a stage to test drive his fabulous new concepts and designs.

Halley has been pushing accoutrements out of the fringes and into the fore of fashion for the last fifteen years. Not only has his wearable art been featured in exhibitions, he was the first designer to ever stage an accessories runway show during fashion week in Paris (see video at end of post).

Be they triple-tiered shoulder pads covered in Swarovski stones, audio headphones with embedded metal spikes, or Kiss-painted doll head headbands, his mischievous, extravagant designs blur the boundaries between accessories and art.

“I’m a big surrealism fan,” says the designer whose lobster logo is a tribute to the movement’s favorite crustacean. “I love the madness of it and the freedom to do silly things.”

Halley’s big break came in 1996 when Karl Lagerfeld commissioned a collection of runway accessories for Chanel. Using a treasure trove of antique pelican and eagle feathers, he concocted a special heat and steam system to shape them into wispy frames for the face.

Sourcing vintage beads in New York, metal trimmings in India, glass beads in Morocco, and antique feathers from old stock suppliers, Halley first customizes his materials in his kitchen laboratory before working them into one-of-a-kind creations. “Various suppliers have passed along technical tricks from the past that I’ve tweaked and developed myself,” says Halley of his DIY designs.

From feathers and metal to leather and crystals, Halley is a maestro of a variety of mediums and techniques. His signature is to mix together contrasting materials for a modern twist on chic, like turning Swarovski crystals on their backs to look like punk rock studs, or transforming Louboutin heels into hats.

His technical and creative playfulness has made him the go-to guy for outstanding embellishments both on stage and off. Not only has he crafted performance pieces for Madonna (an oxidized metal necklace using Indian-inspired trimmings) David Bowie (orchid-shaped feather earrings) and most recently Beyoncé (a crystal degradé bodice designed by Thierry Mugler), he does custom commissions for regular people with a flair for extravagance too.

…………….

Prices: 90E-skies the limit depending on design.
Appointments: Contact me to be put in touch with Erik

Stylish, understated accessorizing—there are few things the French do better. Especially the men, and especially when it comes to their scarves. After a decade of careful observation I’m convinced that the entire French male population has been genetically perfected to give good scarf. Believe me, if I had a dollar for ever time a visiting American guy friend asked me to give him a French echarpe tutorial, I’d be a rich lady.

But the next time someone asks I’ll give my neck a rest and introduce Meilleur Ami instead. Launched in November 2008, Meilleur Ami is a new niche Paris-based men’s accessories brand whose name is its promise—to create designs that behave like best friends.

So strict is founder Fabien Larchez’ criteria for best friend status that there are only two designs in the collection: the perfect bag and the perfect scarf.

“A good accessory can very quickly become your best friend,” says Larchez while modeling his ingenious “080″ scarf. A zero-shaped infinity loop made from a sumptuous slice of fabric, the scarf is then twisted in the center to form a number eight and then thrown over the neck for instant style and coverage. (How friggen awesome is that?)

Larchez, above, uses his inside fashion connections (he worked in the biz as designer, PR and merchandising director for 20 years before launching Meilleur Ami) to source the finest fabrics for his scarves, which are fabricated in a small textile atelier in the outskirts of Paris. They’re all produced in limited series (3-6 scarves per fabric) and come in a smorgasbord of patterns and textures to suit every climate and occasion (silk, cotton and linen for summer, cashmere, wool and even leather for winter).

“The men in my family always wore silk scarves and ties, but I looked ridiculous when I tried to do the same. So I turned and twisted for years until I came up with the right dimensions to add a touch of color, texture or pattern to an outfit without looking stiff.”

Larchez applied the same philosophy of function and style to the second half of his collection: the Meilleur Ami bag. Made in the Picardie region of France by a textile factory that supplies to the French army, the bag is a godsend, plain and simple. Ample enough to hold a weekend’s worth of stuff, classy enough to take to a meeting, and light enough to sling around your neck for a day of biking around Paris, it’s the modern man’s secret weapon to practical chic. Plus it can be worn three ways: by hand, across the chest or on the shoulder.

Supple, resistant and good-looking, the bags are produced in limited series using the finest skins and fabrics from Europe. The combos and colors change each season, and can be customized on demand (for extra, bien sûr). One shop even commissioned a special series of leather bags tattooed with the whimsical animal illustrations of Flo Kim (above, right).

Larchez tests each model for its weight and resistance to the elements, including his own arm hair. “I use the same zipper supplier as Chanel because their zippers are sturdy and don’t catch the hairs on your arm. It’s a little detail, but it can make all of the difference.”

……………

Prices: Bags (450-600€) Scarves (50-75€)
Distributors: OFR (Paris), Bergdorf Goodman (New York), Lane Crawford (Hong Kong)
Scoop: There’s a private Meilleur Ami sale this Friday and Saturday in Paris. E-mail me for details.

The last place you’d expect to find a master milliner is on a small Parisian street best known for its delicious udon noodles and bento box lunches. But authentic Japanese cuisine is just as rare as handmade hats in Paris, so their co-habitation on the rue Sainte Anne is not so odd after all.

Up a winding set of stairs behind a cobblestone courtyard is the discreet home of the renowned Maison Michel where for a price not more than some designer jeans, you could own a timeless, one-of-a-kind accessory that is guaranteed to turn heads.

Striking in its small, cozy configuration, the multi-room showroom and atelier hums with the sounds of straw weaving machines, seamstresses chattering, the shuffling of hand-written orders and the hissing of heaters baking fabric atop wooden hat molds.

Occupying the same space since its inception in 1936, Maison Michel was rescued from oblivion by Chanel’s Paraffection division in 1996 on their mission to save the heritage of struggling haute couture ateliers

Maison Michel is one of seven such ateliers d’art that now functions independently under the Chanel umbrella, supplying to their Mother Company as well as competing couture brands and independent clients in effort to keeps their skills impeccable honed. It is also listed as an Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant (Living Heritage Company) along with Bijoux Commelin and hundreds of other French companies recognized for perpetuating traditional artisanal crafts.

Maison Michel’s private clients run the gamut from dandy to diva, and include men on a mission for made-to-measure fedoras, women plotting their flamboyant headgear for a day at the races and soon-to-be-brides looking for an original accoutrement to their wedding wardrobe.

After consulting at length with the brand’s art director, Ludovic Kornetsky, a design is crafted to order and then fabricated by hand on the premises. Count three weeks to two months for delivery and approx 300€ to 3,000€ per hat according to the complexity and material of the design.

Maison Michel Timeline

1936: Hatmaker Auguste Michel founds his company on rue Saint Anne in Paris
1975: After taking over the company with his wife, Claudine, Pierre Debard stocks the studio with refurbished Weissmanns, old straw sewing machine that allow for the creation of large, invisibly-stitched hats. These sizable, wide-brimmed hats catch the attention of designers such as Pierre Cardin and Yves Saint Laurent.
1980: Maison Michel starts making hats for couture and ready-to-wear fashion houses such as Chanel, Givenchy, Nina Ricci, Guy Laroche, Lanvin and Christian Lacroix.
1996: Chanel takes over Maison Michel
2006: The first Maison Michel Paris ready-to-wear collection designed by Laetitia Crahay, head of accessories and jewelry at Chanel, is launched worldwide.

Maison Michel Glossary

Bob (Sailor’s hat)—Small Breton hat generally made of fabric with an upturned brim.
Canotier (Boater)—Flat-topped straw hat with a narrow brim.
Capeline (Wide-brimmed)—Lady’s hat with a wide, flexible rim usually made of straw or horsehair.
Cloche (Cloche)—Hat with flared brim (e.g. pink hat above left)
Feutre (Felt)—Non-woven, waterproof fabric produced by matting and pressing hairs or wool (Maison Michel sometimes uses rabbit hair).
Forme (Block)—Full limewood mold in which hats are shaped (Maison Michel has more than 3,000).
La Couseuse (Seamstress)—While particularly cherished for thier fine craftsmanship of large, wide-brimmed, sewn straw hats, seamstresses also make “cut and sewn” hats such as sailor’s hats, caps and other cloche hats using patterns.
La Modiste (Milliner)—Working from an illustration, the milliner is in charge of designing the hat prototype using fabrics such as wool, cotton, silk and sometimes even leather. The milliner is also responsible for the hat finishings and trims.
Le Chapelier (Hatmaker)—Craftsman who shapes felt or straw, passes it through a steam box to moisten fabric, then stretches it on a limewood block before baking it in an oven to set exact shape.
Panama (Panama)—Men’s summer hat (though super chic on women) in very fine, soft, light straw plaited from thin strips cut from the leaves of a palm.
Weissmann—Rare, straw sewing machine capable of making large, invisible stitched hats.

……………

Price: 300€ to 3,000€ per hat according to the complexity and material of the design.
Timeframe: Count three weeks to two months for delivery.
Appointment: You may contact me to help schedule an appointment
Inside tip: If you can’t afford made-to-measure, opt for the house’s ready-to-wear collection which is distributed worldwide and fabricated using the brand’s famed artisanal techniques.

All images courtesy of Maison Michel