DOSSIER

The simple structures that Pheobe Philo creates for Céline, both in her clothes and accessories, have a complex simplicity that I find fascinating. A few months ago, I tackled the leather knot bracelet from the Spring 2013 Céline runway, and today, I’ve moved onto one of the more structural clutches for Fall 2013.

For this project, I teamed up with Kyson Leather, one of the leading leather providers in the United States. Based in North Carolina, the family owned business sells wholesale priced upholstery leather to the public. With thousands of qualities, in every color and exotic skin pattern you can think of, its hard to believe that everything is made from cow hide. Their leather quality has great structure, which is perfect for this project. I chose to use the Ivory Gator quality, I loved the color variation in the skin. Their customer service is fantastic, so don’t hesitate to contact them if you don’t see what you want on their site.

Gather your tools: Two square feet of heavy structured leather + scissors and exacto knife + thread and sewing machine + large jump ring + closure of your choice

And finally, wear it! I am wearing it with Helmut Lang Jeans / Chloé Sandals / Raquel Allegra Tee