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Every MAKETTE bag begins with a structure. Not just a physical one, but a conceptual one, a system of references, disciplines, and values that inform every decision we make. We draw heavily from the world of architecture and design, not fashion alone. Because structure matters. And so does what it holds.
This distinction is important. Most handbag design begins with trend forecasting, what shapes are emerging, what silhouettes are gaining traction on the runway. We begin somewhere different. We begin with a question: what should this object do, and how should it do it? The answer shapes everything that follows, the proportions, the hardware, the way it opens, the way it sits against the body.
Our design language is rooted in modernist principles: simplicity, proportion, and utility. We look to Bauhaus not just for its aesthetics, but for its ethos, the idea that form should follow function, and that beauty emerges from precision. MAKETTE bags carry that philosophy forward in soft, sculptural form. Clean lines, modular formats, and material depth define how each piece is built.
Alongside the Bauhaus, we are deeply inspired by the work of Zaha Hadid. Her mastery of fluid geometry, her refusal of symmetry, her belief that form can move. That interplay between control and expression lives at the core of MAKETTE. Not just in our bags, but in our content, our visual language, and our approach to craft. Where Bauhaus gives us rigour, Hadid gives us permission to let the structure breathe.
We also take cues from Japanese basketry and its quiet mastery of space and tension. These traditional weaving techniques inform how our bags open, fold, and move. Instead of designing for decoration, we design for rhythm and flow — how the bag sits against the body, how it transitions throughout the day, and how it can shift purpose through small, intentional gestures.
This thinking is not decorative. It's structural. The way a basket holds its form under weight, the way tension distributes across woven material. These principles translate directly into how we engineer the sides of The Patina, the base of The Curve, and the modular connections of The Strata. Function drawn from centuries of craft.
Our materials echo these references. We choose leathers for their structural integrity and tactile depth. The grains, embossing, finishes, and edges all speak to an architectural mindset with less ornament, more resolution. The interiors are lined with eco suede, chosen not only for its feel but for its contrast to the exterior: softness meeting strength.
Every MAKETTE bag is produced in Ubrique, Spain, a town with over three hundred years of continuous leather craft tradition. Our leathers are sourced from LWG-certified tanneries, ensuring environmental accountability at every stage of production. Full-grain hides are selected for their natural surface character, which deepens and improves with use. The hardware is solid brass, finished to age consistently with the leather over time.
This mindset extends to our construction choices. The MAKETTE Curve, Patina, and Strata bags each reflect a different architectural principle. The Curve borrows from elliptical geometry, a single continuous form that shifts character depending on light and angle. The Patina is bold yet responsive. She folds, shifts, and adapts. Her silhouette is generous but never static, moving with you, opening and collapsing with ease. The integrated clutch detaches to become a second bag, creating a dialogue between scale and flexibility. The Strata reimagines modularity through three detachable pouches, designed to echo interlocking elements, more adaptable than ornamental, more construction than composition.
Each bag in Study 01 can be reconfigured. Straps swap. Pouches detach. Clutches separate. This is not a feature added after the fact but the core design logic from which each silhouette was built.
We called this first collection Study 01. Like a sketch or a maquette, it represents a beginning, a set of ideas made tangible. The name MAKETTE itself means prototype: something in development, always questioning, never final. Our bags are not endpoints. They are part of an evolving system, where each iteration informs the next.
Even the graphic and textile references we explore, especially from Bauhaus print and pattern work, will carry through other elements of the brand as it grows. The small leather goods system launching early next year will extend these principles further, adding new components that connect directly to Study 01. MAKETTE is a study in progress. And we're building it, piece by piece, with the same intention we bring to every stitch, edge, and form.
Inside The MAKETTE System