Restoring a Louis Vuitton Vanity Case

Some of our favourite restorative work is not necessarily the process of making something look brand new again, but instead, using our specialist techniques conservatively to restore and retain that vintage feel.

The lining on this Louis Vuitton Vanity Case had completely come away, it was stained and had even been drawn on. Although the childhood writing was very heart warming, this client wanted to give the case a new lease of life while keeping all the branding and its vintage look. 


restoring a Louis Vuitton vanity case at the handbag clinic

We started by removing the four corner pieces and began to clean the exterior - we are going to work our magic on these later corner pieces later. We then glued down the exterior vachetta that had started to come away, re-securing it to the canvas. We then apply a degreasing solution that removes contaminants from the vachetta, before nourishing the leather with our bespoke nourishing balm. 


restoring a Louis Vuitton vanity case at the handbag clinic

Next we removed the interior leather lining, which we use as our templates for the replacements. Specialist card is then hand cut to act as both a template and a backing for the new leather pieces. Prior to cutting the leather, we use these templates to precisely measure the additional width that will be skived (thinned) before being folded around the card to achieve a perfect finish. The card is glued using our own crafted specialist leather glue before the iconic yellow stitch lines are added. 

restoring a Louis Vuitton vanity case at the handbag clinic




Then we hand crafted all original pockets and re attached the original vachetta, removing this stitch by stitch. Once the base is created, and the vachetta is ready to be attached, by using a machine, we slowly and carefully re-sew the vachetta. We take care to re-use the original stitch holes in order to prevent any additional holes being created that could damage the beautiful original pieces.


restoring a Louis Vuitton vanity case at the handbag clinic
restoring a Louis Vuitton vanity case at the handbag clinic


We then rebuilt the interior, replacing the new pieces by hand whilst smoothing down every edge and corner to create a seamless finish. 


Using a specialist tool, we re-plated all four corners in 24 carat gold. This machine conducts electricity through the metal to re-plate and can only be carried out on conductive metals, such as those seen on this vintage Louis Vuitton and Chanel CC’s. 



restoring a Louis Vuitton vanity case at the handbag clinic


restoring a Louis Vuitton vanity case at the handbag clinic


All work at Handbag Clinic is hand crafted and bespoke to each individual item. Restoration work is our passion, and we ensure that attention to every detail is considered by our amazing Team. Our Artisan, Daniel loved working on this piece and said:-

“Stitch work is my passion and I enjoy a challenge! It was great to be able to deconstruct and then rebuild this piece of handbag history. I hope the client loves it as much as I have loved working on it”

To receive an online quote please fill in our quick and easy form and a member of our specialist team will be in touch. 

If you haven't seen it already, check out the full video below!



 

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