Having become a cult item following its debut appearance on the spring-summer 2000 runway, the Saddle bag has been revisited by Maria Grazia Chiuri for the autumn-winter 2018-2019 season. Discover the secrets behind the making of the Dior Oblique canvas version.
Its slanted graphic motif, designed by Marc Bohan in 1967, requires a traditional Flemish savoir-faire, the same one on which the House called more than fifty years ago. Woven on a jacquard loom, the canvas is then sent to the House’s leatherworking ateliers located in Tuscany, near Florence. Here the craftsman begins the cutting out, carefully positioning the patterns by using the “i” in each “Dior” as a registration point to ensure consistency in the appearance of each finished piece. Next, trusting his experienced eye, he selects the blue calf leather that will be used for each bag.
Once the bag’s eleven elements are ready, another craftsman assembles the two parts that comprise the flap and shapes the material with his hands, aided by a round-headed hammer to create the undulation. Then, the front and back panels are sewn to the sides and the base of the bag before the ensemble is skillfully and precisely stitched together with a sewing machine. Final details: the metal pieces embellishing it are added, the “D” sewn on the leather tab at the front, and the two “CD” buckles set in place on the sides, adding the finishing touches to this House icon. Whether worn on the shoulder or carried in the hand, two attachments allow for the addition of a wide strap available in several colors and motifs.
