Designer Creates Handbags From Unusual Material
New Zealand designer Lilja Viggosdottir “has created a collection of chic and ‘sustainable’ handbags that use an unusual material to help create their unique look,” writes Katherine Davison in an article for The Daily Mail. “Her brand, Nordik, uses salmon skin sourced from throughout Scandinavia to create a distinct look.”
“Salmon skin is a bi-product of the fishing industry, so the leather is created by utilising raw material that would otherwise be discarded,” Viggosdottir wrote on her website.
“The production process uses renewable hydro and geothermal energy and therefore is environmentally friendly and sustainable, perfect for the discerning consumer.”
“The texture of salmon leather can vary from a rough ‘open scale’ finish, to a smoother, more refined ‘closed scale’ finish.”
The Auckland designer said she made “the decision to start her own line of handbags after visiting her father’s home of Iceland.” She launched her label a few weeks ago and says there already had been a steep learning curve.
She told Stuff: “It’s quite a bit of pressure, but I love the chaos, I thrive. You would think bags would be easier to design and make than clothing, but no. There’s a lot of different elements that go into handbag construction – something I didn’t actually learn about at university so I sort of had to give myself a crash course in the different things you need to remember when designing a bag; how you use it, how you hold it, pressure points and tension points.”
“Speaking to The Register about why she loved working with salmon, the designer said she was initially drawn to the “texture and multiple finishes that were available”.
“Once I did some research and discovered the sustainable properties and unique tanning process I felt really inspired,” she said.
“Prices for the unique pieces – which are handcrafted in Italy – range from NZ$685 for the ‘Bjork’ wallet to NZ$1620 for the ‘Pippa’ backpack and NZ$1340 for the ‘Greta’ tote,” as reported in the article.
Article Source: Daily Mail, Katherine Davison, August 28, 2017
Image Source: Facebook – Nordik
