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- [Narrator] Restoring an item back to its original state
is a tedious and delicate process.
Add a high price point, and the stakes are even higher.
Watch 10 restoration experts transform designer goods
such as Sharpie-stained Chanel bags,
dog-bitten Louboutin shoes,
and worn out Louis Vuitton wallets back to new.
Each artisan has their own way
of restoring these luxury goods.
Gerry Gallagher has been repairing luxury handbags
for over 30 years.
This $3,000 Chanel GST was accidentally burned by a candle.
Gerry replaces the damaged leather
on the back pocket of the bag with caviar leather.
This is the same type of leather
it was originally made with.
Once the burned section is replaced,
Gerry stitches the bag back together...
Making sure the sewing needle falls
into the original stitch holes.
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Rio is the owner of Kim's Shoe and Bag Repair.
He is restoring a pair of Chanel ballet flats.
He starts by removing the heel plates with an opener.
Then he makes new rubber soles and glues them on.
The suede on the shoes has faded, so it is being redyed.
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Handbag Clinic restores designer handbags and shoes.
This white Chanel GST was drawn on with Sharpie.
Chloe, an artisan at Handbag Clinic,
starts by using a special ink remover
to contain the spread of the ink.
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She then color matches paint
to the original color of the bag.
Color matching is important for blending the restored parts
with the original.
Chloe airbrushes it on lightly,
ensuring that the texture of the leather is maintained.
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Rago Brothers Shoe & Leather Repair restores shoes
and leather goods.
These $1,000 Louboutins were badly chewed up by a dog.
The team removes and rebuilds
the entire upper part of the shoe.
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They heat up new patent leather
so that it becomes more malleable
and stretch it over the upper part of the shoe.
Then they reattach the platform.
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Heath Potter is a professional cobbler
and a co-founder of Potter & Sons.
The owner of these Ferragamo loafers
wore the soles all the way through.
Heath replaces the outsole with German pit-tanned leather.
It's long-lasting and waterproof.
To finish the process, he stitches the shoes
and puts them onto a press.
Vincent Rao Jr. is the owner of Vince's Village Cobbler.
The famous red-painted bottoms
of these Louboutins have worn out.
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Vincent glues on a rubber sole protector
to add the red color back on.
It will last much longer than the original red paint.
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Daniel James from Handbag Clinic
is restoring a Louis Vuitton vanity case.
The interior lining has deteriorated from years of use.
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He makes patterns using the old pieces
and replaces them with pigskin leather.
The metal corners on the case have worn out.
Daniel uses a special electricity-conducting pen
to replate the metal.
Gerry Gallagher is restoring a Chanel classic flap bag.
It was severely burned by an incandescent light bulb.
He cuts off only the damaged leather
in order to preserve most of the original bag.
He creates a new piece with caviar leather.
He skives the leather until it's paper thin.
When he lays the piece onto the bag,
the transition between the original leather
and the new leather is seamless.
Bag Remake Studio in Shonan, Japan,
repairs designer bags and accessories.
The leather on this Louis Vuitton wallet
has become discolored from heavy use.
The artist color matches the wallet
and slowly paints over the faded areas.
The leather on the edges is peeling
since it's in the most commonly touched areas.
It's sealed using an edge coat.
This will help to protect the corners
from further peeling and damage.
Rio is restoring a pair of $680 Gucci sneakers.
The metallic green panel
on the back of the shoes is peeling.
Rio uses leather glue and an awl
to glue the peeled areas back on.
He also uses a tiny paintbrush
to fill in faded areas on the panel.
To finish the job, he goes over the sneakers
with white paint to touch up any scuffed areas.
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