Maison Patina launches leathergoods line at Betty Hemmings
Emmanuel Farre of Maison Patina. (Image courtesy Maison Patina)
Collaborations are always great to see, especially when they are between people I know and respect. And so I was happy to attend the launch of Maison Patina‘s leathergoods line at Betty Hemmings last Thursday evening. Maison Patina is a new company helmed by Emmanuel Farre, a patina artist extraordinaire that I have profiled in the past. He has been doing his patina work, mostly on shoes, out of Loding’s Avenue Road location for almost two years. I have known for some time, however, that he was cooking up a special project in the background, an entire line of locally made leathergoods. As part of their release, Emmanuel partnered up with Betty Hemmings. I featured this Yorkville shop recently and was very impressed by their commitment to quality and craftsmanship. It is no surprise, then, that Betty Hemmings chose to carry Maison Patina’s work.
Maison Patina shoulder bag and patinated Loding shoes. (Image courtesy Maison Patina)
These pieces, everything from travel bags to wallets, shoulder bags to luggage tags, are crafted here in Toronto. Emmanuel is involved in sourcing the leather to insure it meets his high standards. Box calf leather is from a tannery in Belgium while shrunken lambskin arrives from Italy. He only needs small quantities so he tells me the tanneries are able to send him some of their best leathers. Then, the local leatherworks company (which mostly does not work in the consumer market) cuts all the pieces for a specific item and sends them, unassembled, to Emmanuel. That way, he is able to work his patina on the leather when it is undyed. Also, since the item isn’t constructed, he can work expertly around what will be seams, edges and corners.
Here is the process as Emmanuel explained to me for his Baise-En-Ville bag pictured below: first the customer picks their colour. There are a dozen examples on hand at Betty Hemmings but of course, with Emmanuel just a few blocks away, a personal consultation for more choices is possible. The bag is made of about 18 pieces of leather which take Emmanuel about three hours to patina. Then, there’s over forty hours to construct the bag itself. From order to delivery, expect about a month.
The “Baise-En-Ville” overnight bag. (Image courtesy Maison Patina)
This bag is unique in a number of ways. While it was originally designed by the leatherworks company, it was Emmanuel who came up with the leather combination of lamb and calfskins. His colour also brings the bag to life. And, of course, the name. In France, “Baise-En-Ville” is a common and acceptable name for a small overnight bag. This despite the fact that the name literally translates to “f*** in the city”- the bag is just big enough to carry your essentials for a one night stand. Ah, the French.
The Baise-En-Ville is listed at $4990.00 which puts it in line with other fine leather pieces at Betty Hemmings. And it’s a good fit, according to owner Alexandra Warwick. She expects the bag will appeal to the leather connoisseur, someone who appreciates not only the style and construction but the artistry, the way Emmanuel’s vision is expressed through the leather. I think Maison Patina sits well alongside other Betty Hemmings brands because the shop doesn’t offer anything local and nothing that can be customised to this level (you can actually work with the craftsperson). Also, being surrounded by such makers as The Bridge and Swaine Adeney Brigg, it helps to elevate the quality and finishing of this local leatherworks company, as they have to live up to the high expectations and standards set by other brands.
Maison Patina leatherworks are exclusive to Betty Hemmings at 162 Cumberland Street (in the Renaissance Court) and Loding at 133 Avenue Road.
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