The Matelassé Way

Founded in 1993 by Miuccia Prada, Miu Miu is a brand that embodies the essence of the independent woman. Be it for colour restoration, replacing missing beads or special cleaning, Miu Miu’s designs are frequently passing through the doors of our atelier. Their timeless looks are designed to be worn forever, which is why we can help to ensure your favourite bag stays your favourite for years to come. If your bag is looking a little tired, get a quote or book a collection for Miu Miu bag repair.

The matelassé technique is a signature of Miu Miu. It’s quilted three-dimensional look exemplifies the brand’s young, fun and spunky nature. However, with great elegance comes great responsibility. The texture of matelassé can become flattened or deflated over time and the colour fade can make the bag look tired. Our expert restoration team have perfected the techniques and formulas used to bring your favourite matelassé bag back to life.

The Assessment

This grey matelassé Miu Miu bag came into us well used and well loved. While it was functionally in good condition, the colour had faded and begin to go yellow. Bag handles can often be the first areas to show wear. To give the bag a full restoration, the intricate plaited handle required deep cleaning before also being colour restored.

The Approach

Restoring the colour of matelassé is time consuming process that requires a careful and steady hand to recolour each panel of the three dimensional quilting.

It’s important to have an entirely clean surface on which to apply the new paint. Therefore, we begin by deglazing the bag to remove the top coat of finish. With the top coat removed, we deep clean any grease that has become embedded in the bag.

With a clean bag, we can begin the colour revival. We hand mix a colour to perfectly match the original colour of the bag. When the bag is so faded, there is no original colour for us to match to. In these instances, we research the bag and try to find the most preserved area. This is often on the inside of the bag or under a flap. For this Miu Miu bag, it was the brand label in the interior.

Carefully and delicately, we begin by applying a thin layer of paint on every leather surface. The age and loved condition of this bag meant it was challenging to clean and paint in every crease. With the intricate handles and matelassé quilt detail, this is a lot of surface area to cover.

We apply paint to each panel individually to avoid painting over stitching. When stitching is painted over, it can become saturated. This looses the original aesthetic of the bag and can make it look flat.

The high shine surface meant the leather was slow to absorb the colour, increasing the importance of applying paint in thin layers. After the first coat of paint had dried, we applied a second layer to really revive the colour.

Miu Miu colour revival - Miu Miu bag repair
Complete Miu Miu colour revival

The Results

The client was delighted with the results from her Miu Miu bag repair. With revived colour, it’s now ready for years of wear ahead.

If your once favourite handbag is now shunned to the back of your wardrobe, we can make it shine once more. Learn how we can restructure collapsed bags in this Prada case study. Or, if you have a pair of shoes that need a new look, read about recolouring these Gianvito Rossi heels.

Get a quote or book a collection for your shoes, bags and accessories.

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