Raices Mabenyane A Tsitsitseng

Press Kit

Unique Properties

The design of the Raices line was conceived from a sustainable point of view, through the reuse of the oval left over from the Ombu safety boots.
The goal: the generation of unique pieces through craftsmanship, maximizing its use and the ability to generate different patterns from color changes.
We sought to minimize the reading of the difference between the ovals.
The staggering allowed to minimize the differences and to take the thicknesses as a fundamental part in the generation of value and also to generate rigidity, greater solidity to the proposed pieces.

Dimensions & Packaging

dimensions depending on the piece
Hoops 75 x 85mm
Bracelet 255 x 70mm
Necklace 400 x 65mm
Headband 135 x 65 mm
Packaging 200 x 150 cm

Tags

sustainability, leatherjewelry, sustainablejewelry, ecofriendly, sustainable, slowfashion, zerowaist

Production Technology

The elaboration of this entire collection is done manually, reusing small leather ovals left over from Ombu safety boots, as well as small remnants from different local leather goods companies.
It is done by hand cutting and gluing, as can be seen in the video and in some cases the incorporation of studs or rivets that add light and reinforce its character.

Design Challenge

It is always a challenge to work from a given shape. The work concentrates on finding its beauty and functionality. Finding the latent message of these materials, their proportion and then, the design.
The boots are made in black, brown and white. This color limitation, led us to take as an opportunity the use of small scraps from other companies, thus expanding the palette and the saleability of the pieces.
Integrating the concept of corporate social responsibility and rescue of crafts.

Research

This line emerged in response to the need to reuse small scraps of discarded leather, for which its development was limited to direct experimentation.
Technique used: scaling, a resource that can be assimilated to the natural structures already known, minimizing the differences in size between the ovals and, in turn, taking the thicknesses as a fundamental part of the generation of value.
The objective: the generation of unique, handcrafted and durable pieces. Making the most of scraps. Expand the offer of the same piece through changes in the possible patterns by means of color changes.

Inspiration

The inspiration for this line comes from the scales on the wings of birds. That overlapping that gains character with changes in color and depth. It was the technology of the use of a certain raw material, the leftover ovals from the manufacture of boots, which led us to look for the latent language in this material and its possible uses for the formal generation. The colors would appear later when this resource allowed us to recover very small scraps of leather from other companies.

Project Duration

This process of recovering materials began in 2012, incorporating new pieces and new colors year after year. Different pieces of this collection have been exhibited at the Fairs: Expocomer Panama 2014 Maison et Objet 2014-2015-2016-2017 They have been sold to the SF MOMA, Japan and France until today

Operation Flow

This object is easy to access, easy to use and does not require help to handle it. Although this material requires certain care: do not wet, do not use alcohol and take care of it with bitumen or wax to increase its durability.

Patents

no yet

Image Credits

Image No 1 PH Maru Somoza
Image No 2 PH Francisco Sexauer / prod model Mercedes Garcia Di Mare
Image No 3 PH Mayte Ossorio Domecq
Image No 4 PH Francisco Sexauer / prod model Mercedes Garcia Di Mare