Found an interesting article while researching on certain brands.
VBH: Very Beautiful Handbags by V. Bruce Hoeksema
The Rome-based accessories house VBH may be one of fashion’s best-kept secrets—a rare thing in an age of tweeting designers, live-streamed runway shows, street-style blogging. Fashion is faster than ever, and it takes a person with integrity and a passion for the traditional (rather long) process, to create truly exclusive luxury. One man who values this artisanal process is American designer Vernon Bruce Hoeksema, who founded VBH quietly in 1999.
He attributes his understanding of true luxury to the 25 years he spent working for Valentino. His understated handbags come in an array of high-end materials like lizard, alligator, python, leather and suede. Each bag is hand-sewn and assembled by a team of artisans in Florence.
“We will never be a mass luxury brand, it’s not in our DNA and that’s not what we are about,” says Hoeksema.
NM: What was the original motive behind VBH?
BH: The motivation was to get back to real luxury – high quality and exclusive. At that time, when I started the company, I found so-called “luxury” being distributed to the masses. You would see the same bag everywhere. I noticed there was a high-end clientele that wanted to distinguish themselves.
NM: What is the ultimate craftsmanship for you?
BH: The ultimate craftsmanship is being handmade in Italy. Putting as much attention-to-detail into making the inside of the bag as you do the outside. Also, construction and how the bag wears through the years.
NM: VBH offers a very exclusive and personal interpretation of luxury. How do you intend to maintain the integrity of the company while aiding growth?
BH: VBH has grown solely by word-of-mouth. It represents the old way luxury brands were built. It wasn’t done through advertising, it was done through beautiful quality products. Because of this, we have tremendous potential to expand to markets where people aren’t aware of VBH without going mass-luxury. It’s our job to maintain the high standards that VBH stands for – handmade in our own factory in Italy. We also put a lot of time into the research and development of new materials and finishes.
NM: Your handbags are exquisitely understated. What is your philosophy in terms of design?
BH: I don’t believe in “throw-away” fashion. I want to make products that are timeless and can be passed down to future generations.
NM: Describe the production process for one bag.
BH: Once my sketch is complete, the skins are hand selected, quality controlled and hand cut. They pass from the cutting tables to be “prepared.” This is where the skins and edges are skived, which makes them thinner, in order to sew the seams. Then, they get a final or exact cut. There are different backings we use to give strength and durability, depending on the type of skin we are using. After this they are individually hand mounted at the work tables. One bag can have around 30 to 40 pieces that all get assembled in certain stages. It takes at least a week for one bag to pass through the mounting stage. We select thread colors and edge paint colors. It’s a very lengthy process because of the way we finish the bags – we basically create another bag on the inside.
NM: Share three things you learned during your time at Valentino.
BH: I learned what real luxury is, what real couture is and how to mix materials and colors to put together a cohesive collection or an individual bag.
NM: Your online presence is one of mystery. You have a website, but there is minimal content. Do you intentionally keep a low profile online?
BH: In the beginning it was a conscious decision to not have a website. It was partially because we weren’t trying to expand the brand exponentially, but also because putting product on the web made it much easier to counterfeit, which has been a problem for us. Now, we are currently working on an informational website, which will feature some product.
NM: How do you balance business and creative?
BH: It is a tremendous amount of work. You end up working a lot of hours, I guess is how you do it. [Laughs.] I spend most of the day (9 to 5) working on the creative side and the business side is mostly after hours.
NM: What excites you most about the design process?
BH: I really enjoy going to the factory with my sketches and working with the model maker to develop the first sample. I am extremely hands-on during this process. I can go into the factory, completely on my own, and make my sketch a reality. The only process I don’t attempt to do myself is to use the sewing machine, and it’s not because I don’t think I can, but because it probably takes a bit of practice. Depending on the bag it can take eight to ten trials to get the sample perfectly balanced. I enjoy everything about this process, especially the small tweaks.
NM: Describe the quintessential VBH woman.
BH: The brand appeals to all ages of women, and that’s what I had hoped for, when I started the business. The quintessential woman who is attracted to VBH is secure in herself and her taste. She understands the quality and wants to project her own personality, not the personality of a logo or brand.
- Taken from NMdaily, posted by Kristen Spaulding on 11.07.11
Labels: Interview
