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Friday, February 27, 2015

bag restoration: stinky vintage gucci boston bag

i used up all the tricks i know for removing malodour on this bag, from all-natural homemade cleaners to chemical-filled solutions with no luck.  so, i decided to give this vintage gucci bag a deep wash as a last resort.  you can safely wash any coated canvas material.  however, i should warn you that the final result really depends on the quality and condition of the bag pre-wash.  i should also emphasize that the most important part is to apply leather conditioner while the bag is still wet, or at least damp.  this is to prevent any unsightly cracks from happening.

don't be deceived by the look because this one smells really, really bad.



i used a nylon mesh dipped in softened detergent bar to get rid of the remaining flaky lining.  this should also remove malodour without using bleach.



rinse, rinse, rinse.


stuff with towels.  rest the bag for a little while.


apply leather conditioner while the bag is still damp to touch.


hang to dry.  i then used a blow dryer to speed up the drying process.



vintage gucci bag after!  clean, refreshed, and most importantly, no more stink!




Tuesday, February 24, 2015

bag restoration: coconut oil for leather goods

this may sound a little too unconventional, but trust me, it will be your next go-to leather conditioner.  this "miracle" product is pretty cheap and might be easily available at your kitchen pantry.  what am i talking about?  coconut oil, of course!

different kinds of oil are being used for decades by professional leather craftsmen.  using them will not rot the stitches or cause deterioration of the leather.  coconut oil has large molecules and high content of saturated fats, therefore it is less likely to go rancid easily.

here is a vintage maurice lacroix grained leather bag that requires deep conditioning.


others would tell you to use absolutely the littlest amount as possible. personally though, i would like to apply the oil liberally.  simply wipe the excess with cotton rag.



vintage maurice lacroix bag after coconut oil.




use excess coconut oil on rag to polish the hardware.



special note:
- use only cold pressed virgin coconut oil.
- try first on inconspicuous part of your leather goods.
- warm coconut oil with your palms, then massage it deep into the leather.
- wipe excess oil.  this is to prevent oil stain from happening.
- do not use on patent or suede leather.
- you can use it safely on coated canvas and exotic leather.
- use with caution on light colored leather goods.

Monday, February 23, 2015

reconditioning old wicker basket with coconut oil

we have this beautiful rattan-slash-water hyacinth wicker basket since the 90s.  it served us good for the past years, and hopefully, for a few more years to come with the help of this all-natural and non-toxic wicker basket conditioner.  you may use a small-sized paint brush for a less messy application or your bare hands.  i prefer the latter because it warms up the coconut oil so it can easily be absorbed by the basket material, and moisturizes my skin at the same time.

old, dried-out wicker basket.  black molds.



apply your coconut oil with a paint brush or bare hands.



let your wicker basket sit under the sun for about 30 minutes or so.  this should also kill all the molds.



wipe out excess coconut oil.  buff wooden handles with a soft cloth.  ready to use.




Saturday, February 21, 2015

bag restoration: refreshing old bally trainspotting bag

i have always been a fan of classic bally.  it was my first love and it has a special place in my heart.  in fact, i still have some of my earliest collection with me.  all preloved and vintage, so they are sustainable in their own rights.  one of which is this bally trainspotting hand-held bag.  this has been my go-to bag before and one of my all-time favorites.  for that reason, i'm planning to give it a second (third, or fourth, or more?) lease on life.  it doesn't have any major issues to note.  the bag just needs a little bit of refreshing and reconditioning.

out of shape and flat as pancake.  the cream and black trainspotting stripes are a lot dirtier in actual. there are also thick verdigris present on hardware.



into the bath.


rinse, rinse, rinse.



drying.



after a copious amount of leather honey.  clean, beautiful, and plump calf leather.




Thursday, February 19, 2015

mail day: vintage bally kelly style bag

i was fortunate enough to get this exquisite vintage bally bag from ms. petty's batch upload a few days ago.  this silent bag is screaming elegance.  i adore the simple shape, the streamlined design, and the absence of logos.


the calfskin leather is way too divine, especially after a good amount of leather conditioner.  i adore the folds, creases, and wrinkles in all the right places because they give the bag added character.  it has the right amount of slouch to it, and yet can stand on its own even when emptied.



the hardware looks, surprisingly, incredibly new considering its age.  the previous owner must have taken really good care of this bag.  the closure has a resemblance to the ubiquitous gancini hardware of ferragamo.  this type of closure has been used by multiple premier designer brands in the past, therefore i really cannot guarantee if bally copied this from ferragamo.


i have a picture of this vintage bally kelly style bag stored on my computer's inspiration folder for a very long time now, and it felt so surreal that i have the exact same style sitting on my lap as i'm writing this post.  it could be law of attraction working its magic.  or, probably just a lovely case of coincidence.



hopefully, i will not baby this one so i could get the maximum cost-per-wear for it.  but regardless, i got this for a much, much friendlier price of 1600 pesos as compared to buying it brand new.  i can see myself carrying this timeless beauty until i turn 60 or something.

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

bag restoration: vintage gucci bag with unusable lining

hello, blog friends!

here's how i restored a vintage gucci two-way bag with heavily flawed lining.  the lining was totally unusable when i received this bag.  flaky, sticky, malodorous, and just a complete mess.  my initial thought was to cut the lining and be done with it.  i have plenty of time today, however, so i decided to give it a wash instead.  the bag also required a bit of reshaping and conditioning.

vintage gucci bag before.




 soap and water bath.


use a large-sized nylon bristle brush.


remove remaining sticky residue with detergent bar.


rinse, rinse, rinse.

dry in filtered sunlight.


after a good dose of leather conditioner.




after shots of lining.


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