The school bag, Ronja Revilla

More info:

- Open access to air and spaciousness

- Filled double handles, sewn on the bag

- Inner pocket with matching zipper for valuables

- Lined inside with caramel-colored lambskin

- Protection of the skin (foot) under the bag

- Holds laptop, booklets and documents

- Carried over the shoulder, in the hand, or on the arm

Ronja explains the process: “The whole process of making a bag can take several years - from the original idea to the completed work. The design of a bag must be given enough time to develop - it must be tested against function, aesthetics and usability, piece after piece until the bag is thorough in every aspect.

Sketches are drawn, anatomy, structure and composition studied. Design elements and properties are developed. The first weeks are spent working on the template and prototype, where measurements are tested and refined, and the construction of the first paper prototype is ready. Then I handpick the leather, place and cut the first parts carefully, with the intention of emphasizing the leather's natural origin. Details are made and marked on the leather, such as handle attachments, straps, pockets and handles.

Just the handles take a whole day to make, a construction with up to seven layers of leather that is shaped, glued, polished and stitched onto the bag. Details such as handle attachments, adornments and shoulder straps are completed: they are shaped, finished and stiched onto the bag. Then the base of the bag is stitched to the body, and the feet can be screwed in. The inner lining of velvety goatskin is cut and sewn on the inside, while I hide the seam from the inside.

Then, I sew the whole bag by hand with saddle stitching, a process reserved for the patient. Beautiful linen thread waxed with natural beeswax is stitched through the bag with its delicate shade, stich after stich by hand. The control over every single stitch gives me a perfectly tight seam, and allows me to give you the world's strongest stitch. An elegant bold black edge frames the bag. I apply it evenly, with breathing precision. A small mistake, and the bag must be restarted, after several days of work. Focus. A new, thick layer of paint is applied, which seals the edges together when it dries. Then the locking mechanism is fastened in place: The metal nails are tapped through the leather, tops snapped off and hammered down. The mechanism is tested, the steel is polished. I apply a layer of leather grease to the bag, which I brush and polish for the very last finish.

The apron is removed and the light switches off in the workshop. The bag is now ready to begin its own story and follow the owner for generations.

About the materials: Vegetable tanned leather and hide are natural materials: the raw product is descendant of the food industry, and the result is honest and genuine. The tanneries take care of the animal skin and process it gently, naturally: vegetable oils and degradable plants such as spruce, olives, oak and mimosa make the characteristic, unbeatable scent. Only 10% of all leather in the world are tanned naturally, and unique to this material is that it often has to be processed by hand by us bagmakers and shoemakers. There are no machines that can replace or measure up to the craft; only our hands can achieve excellent results. Thus, it is our turn to create bags and suitcases, portfolios and shoes - with precision and respect for the material.