Restoring A Pistachio Celine Trio

To repair and restore a handbag is a craft and a skill. Our in-house team of artisans are trained to provide a trusted service to repair your handbags. Follow our Case Study to learn about the process and care required to restore this Celine Trio.

Celine was founded in 1945 by Céline Vipiana. Phoebe Philo was the creative director of Céline for 10 years and was appointed in 2008 until 2018. The Trio was released in 2011 and is still a firm favourite. The Trio is made of smooth lambskin, comes in an array of colours and is a handbag we often receive for repair and restoration.

The Assessment

Following a physical assessment it was clear the bag had extensive wear and tear on the corners and the colour of the leather had faded. The services recommended for the bag is a deep clean, followed by colour and leather restoration and edging.

The Approach

To restore the bag the team begin with cleaning. Appropriate products are used to remove any surface dirt and dust. This enables the artisan to see areas where the leather is damaged or faded.

Cleaning Celine Trio before bag repair
Cleaning The Bag To Prepare It For Restoration

Once cleaned and prepared for the colour restoration the paint is mixed by hand. The colour on this Celine Trio had faded so much that the artisan could not use it as a reference for the original. In this instance, our team will assess the bag and find an area internally which had not been damaged by sunlight to match the colour against. Colour mixing is an art and there are many undertones and colours required to match.

Colour Mixing And Matching Paint to restore the handbag
Colour Mixing And Matching By Hand

The next step is to apply the colour restoration in layers by hand with a large brush. The large brush is used so that the paint is applied in fine layers, going into the grooves of the leather and not compromising the texture. Once colour restoration is complete a finisher product is applied to seal, protect and prevent colour transfer.

Colour And Leather Bag Restoration
Restoring The Colour In Fine Layers

The final part of the process is the edging. Edging is a protective sealant often seen along the handles or edges of the bag. When this is cracked or worn away its essential to sand it down and re-edge it. Not only aesthetically does this improve the look of a bag but it also protects and strengthens handles, making them last longer.

Re-edging the handles
Re-Edging The Bag To Strengthen And Protect The Handles

The Results

The bag is transformed back into its original colour and ready to be returned back to the client to be fallen in love with all over again. The bag is beautifully wrapped and returned with our trusted courier who is providing a contactless drop-off. If your shoes need some love why not read about Repairing Gucci Loafers or for another handbag repair see Restoring Saint Laurent Sac De Jour. Sign up to receive our Case Studies direct to your inbox here.

Restored And Revived Celine Bag
Restored and revived

We have developed unique capabilities and techniques, to learn more about the infinite possibilities read 10 Things You Didn’t Know We Could Do. If you’d like expert care and need to repair your shoes and bags, simply Book A Collection.