All Hidesign product lines reflect the Hidesign concept and create a harmonious image that reflects the sophisticated lifestyles of our customers. Our core classic range of briefcases, handbags and wallets are always contemporary, sophisticated and ideal for the successful executive lifestyle. Our wide range of garments reflects a continuous adaptation to the latest fashion tendencies. Our extensive range of small leather goods and fashion accessories complement the handbags, the effect is stylish and harmonious.

How do we make a Hidesign product?

Leather CheckingUnlike most mass produced leather goods, Hidesign bags are made using Full Grain Hide leather that needs no correction. Hidesign has its own tannery to ensure that the best quality hides are used. In stage 2, the leather is tanned by the time honoured traditional method of vegetable tanning hides in extracts of bark and seed (which represent the required tannic acid) collected from renewable sources in the forests of Africa and India. Only after these vegetable extracts have been fully absorbed oils & waxes applied to make the hides supple. This method, though more extensive and time consuming, is by far the most thorough and environment friendly.

Although the leather has been prepared at our own tannery, a thorough check is also made at the factory on:

1.Correct colour

2.Grain and Structure of the leather
Smooth and flat for the Casual leathers, natural grain for the Classic leathers

3.Softness

The leathers are checked to ensure that the Classic leather has sufficient body for a briefcase to be firm, built is not too boardy. Casual leather is checked for its softness, without looseness and wrinkles. Keeping the tradition and environment in view, Hidesign products are normally hand-dyed. This enhances the strength and the beauty gained from the vegetable tanning process.

Leather SortingHidesign insists on using natural leathers that do not have a layer of pigment covering them. Since each hide is unique, each hide absorbs the oils, waxes and dyes slightly different from others. The Sorter needs considerable experience and skill to be able to match leathers by grain and colour into batches that are cut separately.

CuttingHidesign still insists on hand-cutting with knives, for with its tiny sharp cutting point, it enables the skilled pattern cutter to make clean cuts and go around corners exactly as per the pattern. Hand-cutting allows the cutter to lay down the whole leather on the table and place various patterns onto it to ensure correct matching between adjoining pieces on the bag before actually cutting. Inherited talents and long apprenticeships gives Hidesign this unique strength to handle natural leathers that most factories, dependant on machine clicker cutting, cannot cope with.

Constructing the BagA high quality bag requires a great deal of preparation. A common misconception is that cutting leather and stitching it together makes a bag. Although this may be true of inexpensive bags, the making of a high quality bag requires very little stitching but great deal of work constructing a bag.

Assembling the bagThe bag is first put together with glue before being stitched. This ensures the bag has the correct shape and that each bag is joined together exactly where it should be. Only then is the bag finally assembled. The bag is checked at all stages to ensure good quality.

Quality and CheckingAttention to details such as burning down excess threads, cleaning off glue and polishing, takes place before a final check of each bag by three different checkers.

FittingsOnly solid brass buckles are used for Hidesign products. Brass scrap is obtained, melted and each having been individually sand cast and hand polished reflecting the old saddlery tradition, Fittings that are not produced in our foundry are imported from the most respected suppliers in Europe and the rest of the world. Our traditional methods allow us to produce a product that is rich in character, texture and individuality. Each bag is therefore, by its very nature, a Limited edition.

Hidesign knows no other way of making bags that will give years of pleasure.