We are pleased to share with you our very special collaboration between Brussels designer Marie Laurence Stévigny and textile designer Isabelle Yamamoto, as part of Brussels Design September 2022.
Following the Wabi Sabi philosophy, the MLS upcycled hemp and linen edition gathers our classical leather colors such as Tan, Ebony, Off white and Taupe with carefully sourced vintage hemp and linen canvas. The vintage hemp fabric is carefully selected and naturally hand-dyed by textile workshop Empreinte et Matières of Isabelle Yamamoto. The vintage linen canvas come from old family linen canvas owned by our designer. Each piece of fabric used in the collection is unique and different because of its history and irregularities.
The minimalist and conscious edition offers a collection of MLS Crossbody bags and a new tote bag, all similar but all different, embracing the values of craft and upcycling.
Are you familiar with Wabi Sabi?
Wabi Sabi is a Japanese concept of finding beauty in the imperfect and embracing the humble. It is rather a mindset and worldview than a decorating style, for people who appreciate honest and irregular handcrafted objects with a soul. Embedded in the Japanese Zen Buddhism, the Wabi Sabi philosophy is also promoting simplicity and modesty. It encourages us to repair, upcycle or patch items instead of throwing away (1).
(1) Book “Wabi Sabi Home”, Mark & Sally Bailey, ed. Rylands Peter & Small
Do you know Isabelle Yamamoto?
French textile designer Isabelle Yamamoto, based in Brussels, gives new life to old textiles that she hunts down during her travels and peregrinations, to make cushions with an elegant sobriety. The love of the material and the wilĺ to pay tribute to the work of man, without distinction of origin, are at the origin of her creative force.
Sensitive to the need́ to respect and protect the environment, Isabelle Yamamoto has focused́ her reflection on an eco-responsible approach. The challenge was to create, while giving a second life, by recycling old textiles, mainly vintage hemp, raw, textured telling a story. The fabrics used are mainly agrarian fabrics, often raw from Eastern countries (Hungary, Slovenia, Ukraine ...), threshing tablecloths, or other grain bags, but also old French sheets, for their higher quality of weaving and their refinement.
Often used for ordinary purposes, these sometimes, obsolete fabrics are a godsend for the designer, who offers them a contemporary and timeless style. Isabelle finds beauty in imperfection.
Do you know the MLS Pockets?
MLS leather organizer pockets provide simple, light, timeless, minimal, unisex & modular premium leather goods for daily moves & new travelers.
MLS is created by an international Belgian accessories designer, Marie-Laurence Stévigny - a designer with over twenty years of experience in fashion and luxury. MLS is designed with the concept of providing high-quality unisex handmade leather bags and pouches. All collections are made in premium Spanish & Italian cowhide or lambskin handmade leathers by expert leather workshops in the South of Spain and in Italy. Marie Laurence Stevigny is dedicated to providing you with high-quality and highly crafted lightweight leather goods.
Each style within MLS Pocket range is available in Skin essential edition: premium cowhide leather in different classical leather colors such as tan, taupe, black, off white, nude, ebony. The range is also available in limited editions of colors and materials such as metallic gold, curled lambskin, upcycled denim, recycled nylon…
The modularity aspect each leather clutch or accessorize allows you to combine them through the D-ring as you need in order to create your own style and achieve more functionality. For example, Zip micro + Zip maxi, or Zip micro + Keyholder... It all depends on your preference!
MLS adheres to the concept of environmental protection, the packaging box is made of sustainable materials - cardboard box combined with white printed Belgian paper. All MLS packaging are designed to be easily recycled and reuse. Cardboard boxes are light to be shipped.
Treasure your essentials,
Simplify your life,
Move light and safe wherever you go.
Your Pocket team