METCHA: How would you define sustainability? And what role does it play in your process?
If you have the ability to name who produced even the smallest detail of a product then you are on the right track, and that’s what we do. I could tell you everything. We produce everything in-house to take care of every part of the process. We even print our hang tags on a 100-year-old Tiegel press through one of my friends.
METCHA: How different is “an inevitable necessity” from a simple accessory? What defines this difference?
This is mostly my way of saying that form follows function, everything works and everything makes sense. I’m not really fashionable. Every rivet, every zipper, and every kind of decor has an idea and a purpose.
METCHA: How do you see Esde bags today in comparison to when they were first produced?
I have a 100sqm studio instead of operating out of my living room. I have more machines and materials, but it’s still the same, and you know why – cause I love how it is. Of course, we have some stockiest but the idea is the same, as well as the crafting. Only the goals have changed a bit, I always wanted to be in L’Éclaireur, now we need to make new goals.
METCHA: What impact do you envision for your latest project, Fuck Off Corona Collection? How is your audience meant to think and feel in response?
#FCKFCRNA is my battle cry against giving up in these difficult times. I just realized that we need to reset everything and now is the perfect time for real creativity, because it’s possible to make whatever we want. So, I ordered some insanely nice old stock skins and started to sell one-of-a-kinds, pushing out new models every week.
I want my audience to understand that, even though we’re still scared and confused, we’re also fully packed with motivation and optimism. As long as we have leather, we’ll keep creating.