Bag Remake Studio in Shonan, Japan,
repairs designer bags and accessories.
This $800 monogram wallet
is an unmistakable Louis Vuitton staple.
The owner uses it on a daily basis,
and now the lining is deteriorating,
the leather is discolored,
and the paint is peeling on the edges.
One of the studios repairmen will show us
how they restore this wallet
by taking it apart, repainting it,
creating new linings, and stitching it all back together.
First, the artist takes the bag apart
in order to work on each piece separately.
(soft music)
He uses a seam ripper to carefully take out the thread.
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After he takes off the outer shell of the wallet,
he uses a sewing awl to take out the internal threads.
(soft music)
Next, he'll move on to fixing
the severely discolored leather.
He starts by color matching the brown shade of the wallet.
This shade is made by combining black, yellow, red,
and white leather paints.
Once he has a perfect match,
he uses a paintbrush to slowly start coating
the discolored parts of the leather.
He won't touch the signature monogram.
This preserves the authenticity of the piece.
After years of rubbing against money,
the interior lining needs to be replaced.
The customer requested a nylon lining.
To do this, the repairman cuts out the new lining
with a sharp knife,
using the exterior of the wallet as a stencil.
He coats the wallet in glue
and presses the new lining onto each piece.
Once the piece is dry, they are ready to come back together.
The artisan sews them slowly,
carefully ensuring each stitch goes into the exact same hole
as the original.
Once the three main pieces of the wallet are assembled,
the artisan glues and sews them together.
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To finish this repair,
he paints the edges of the wallet where it's peeling
with an edge coat.
This ensures that all of the wallet's corners are sealed.
(soft music)
The final step is to hand rub the whole wallet
with mink oil,
which will prevent the leather from peeling
or getting discolored
and will extend its life for years to come.