Natural leather is a material that combines beauty and durability, making it perfect for crafting unique bags and shoes. About how I design my bags, I start by taking the measures of a bag that inspires me and then consider the type and colour of the leather and the intended purpose of the bag, ensuring each design is both functional and stylish. For shoes, I start with a shoe last that fits the type of shoes I want to create, designing with both aesthetics and comfort in mind. Sometimes, I incorporate materials like wood and fabric to achieve a unique look. While I love leather, I strongly oppose animal cruelty and believe human should consume only as much as it really needs.
I should mention that as making bags and shoes is my hobby, the materials I use are the ones I can find in retail stores and the instruments I use are very basic ones, so final products are constrained by these limitations.
Bags
I think my fur bag is quite elegant, if I may say so myself. The photo of the side handle holder illustrates how I meticulously design every component to enhance the bag’s overall shape.
I love nubuck because it’s both soft and durable. The nubuck bags I crafted in 2008 or even earlier are still in good condition, which I find amazing and worth the time spent on them. The bag with yellow paisley pieces is special to me as it was the first bag I made.
I think while making a bag, and this procedure is joyful and therapeutic for me.
Creating the patchwork leather bag from small leather pieces was like solving a puzzle. For the backpacks I used my leather bag teacher’s models. The tiger bag features a painted and carved panel by a a very nice and delicate artist known by the brand Banoye_Irani.
I personally wood-burned the design on the wood-leather bag, preferring the intricate and delicate result over the common laser burning techniques available today.
For the cloth-leather bag, I bought the hand-knitted panel from a local in Kandovan village in Azerbaijan province-Iran. You can find photos of this village under Travelogue Tab.
Shoes
Stepping into the shoe world taught me a lot about my feet. Although learning the basics of shoemaking was a time-consuming process, it was incredibly rewarding, providing me with the skills to create or choose proper footwear for a lifetime. I have 3 diplomas from Iran Technical and Vocational Training Organization for shoe making, first design, second Upper Lasting and third roughning. For each of these diplomas I passed 3 months of everyday classes.
I love customizing my shoes to match my husband’s shoes and my style. I painted on my shoes, and in a case on my socks, not many items can escape my painting brushes!
For sandals, I measure directly on my foot and design intuitively. The grey sandal, though simple in design, offers exceptional comfort and practicality.
Bag and Shoes Set
Making your own clothes gives you endless options for creating a set that go with each other as much as you like.