American women are getting into fixing, repairing and conserving their fine leather goods.
”We are very, very busy with repairs,” said Claude Gandrille, Hermes`
master leather craftsman who was exhibiting his skills recently at the Hermes boutique, 875 N. Michigan Ave. A graduate of L`Ecole Turquetile, Paris` school of fine leather crafting, Gandrille was an artisan in the fabled leather workrooms at Hermes` Paris headquarters for 10 years and has worked at their flagship store in New York for 17.
”Even young girls 20 to 22 years old bring their old Hermes handbags that belonged to their mothers, and they ask me if I can put a shoulder strap on it,” Gandrille said. ”They know quality and want to save it. Sometimes they bring in things that are very old. I had one the other day-50 years old but still in very good condition.”
Gandrille`s advice is sought on all custom orders for leather, which include some unusual items.
”If you have a Rolls-Royce and want to have special compartments made in the trunk, Hermes will design the compartment so that no space will be wasted,” he says. The same thing for your boat. ”Or if you want to have the entire interior of your car lined in leather, Hermes will do it too.”
If Chicago clients have special requests, the boutique will send them on to New York. ”We never say no to a customer.”
Except in one circumstance: ”Many times people ask, Can you fix my Vuitton?” Gandrille says. Non. Only Hermes products, s`il vous plait.