THE CAMERA BAG
Primary geometrical ingredients make up the Camera Bag. The container of the bag is a simple rectangle, offset by the molded lens element that juts out from the middle.
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Simple and curved geometrical lines make up the Camera Bag. The container of the bag is a simple rectangle, offset by the molded lens element that juts out from the middle. The lens shape is formed from a round mold, holding the leather in place in the process, much like the circular molds used to make individual shapes of the pasta, like Farfalle or ravioli, often served in the Tuscan region’s rich stews.
Curvy and shiny, the camera bag brings to mind leather camera cases as well as the naive design of a toy. The camera bag has a friendly quality, readily making it an opening for a conversation or exchange between strangers, in the street or at a restaurant.
The camera bags are crafted in a small town in the middle of Tuscany known, for the most part, for the terracotta made from local clay. The material is responsible for the reddish tone that appears throughout the cityscape, across homes, shops and cultural landmarks.
The decorative shapes of the natural clay, in the form of pots, pillars, tiles and sculptures, express the surrounding geography. The simple curvature of the lens element conceals a process guided by hands. The procedure begins with a piece of wood in the form of a last created by the craftsmen. First, the leather piece is soaked thoroughly and evenly before being finely sheathed over the wooden last. A frame is then placed around the structure, holding the leather firm for it to take shape in the drying process. The structure is left for a period of time to hold its shape. Once dry, and the frame removed, the edges of the leather are trimmed to the margins of the lens’ final shape and the pattern pieces are assembled and stitched together. The dedicated and labored technical procedure the bags undergo makes each unique to the asperities of the hand that crafts it. The camera bag comes in two sizes and is always proposed in black and liven up new colors each season.
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PHOTOS BY: LENA EMERY, OSMA HARVILAHTI