Gone are the days when I used to bring my bags to handbag spas. Over time, I felt like I was no longer getting my money's worth, and also the time consumed for a take 2 due to sub-par cleaning. It prompted me to clean my bags at home, and I've been doing it for a while now.
I was never in the business of ranting, and not doing anything to understand and solve the issue. So here is a significant snapshot of my handbag restoration story.
There was a case when I had to bring my Gucci Boston to bag spas in two countries, and the people I spoke with wanted to know none of it. That bag is barely four years old, and I sent it to a bag spa 2x a year for cleaning - but there are environmental factors like heat and humidity that seem to shorten the 'life' of my bag. The stains in the (interior) lining were never addressed by any of the shops I sent it to. The coated canvas started to peel - and no one would offer me a clear solution. I started to do some research on cleaning and restoration, specifically for Gucci Boston coated canvas with fabric lining and soft leather trims. I can probably restore it myself.
I started buying reputable leather care products as starter. Most of the first batch of supplies I bought were from Europe. I tested the products on several bags and shoes from my closet, aided by application techniques that I learned through understanding the structure of my shoes and bags. My experiments worked nicely. Family and friends were pleased with the results. Then I thought, why not offer it as a service? If I am to do it professionally, I have to make sure that I offer only the best. So I went ahead to obtain a professional certification for handbag and shoes restoration. The quality of cleaning and restoration that I do require some artistic ability and creativity (resourcefulness), that's why I treat every bag as a project. I've started accepting bags and shoes for cleaning and restoration. As expected, my first customers are family and friends. 😊
Here is another batch from days of restoration effort. These are my outputs from a couple of days spent outside of my usual corporate concrete jungle environment.
❤ The toughest so far is restoring a (very) vintage Louis Vuitton purse WITHOUT a single drop of leather paint. Every step was rendered manually. No shortcuts.
Before: Old and weak cowhide leather, scuff marks, loose stitches in some areas, dull and dirty canvas, tarnished hardware, smelly interior
After: Reinforced cowhide leather with rich honey patina color, no visible scuff marks, fine stitches, clean canvas, shiny hardware, clean and disinfected interior
Note:
1. Painting a piece of cowhide leather is easy to do, but it makes sensitive cowhide highly susceptible to cracks.
2. The first output showed a very light patina, but I chose to buff the cowhide to achieve a rich honey patina for a more vintage look.
❤❤ I was also able to clean the fabric lining of my Gucci Boston bag without harsh chemicals like chlorine.
Before: Stained fabric lining - trips to handbag spas did not make these stains disappear. They would just tell me 'best effort only'.
After: Clean fabric lining, a reshaped Boston bag form, reshaped pockets with starch-like hold.
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