The Mannheim label Melina Bucher has opened its own master bag maker. The special thing about it is that it specializes in vegan and bio-based materials.
Bagmakers or fine bagmakers are people who are dedicated to processing leather, which traditionally means animal leather. At Melina Bucher, however, traditional craftsmanship is combined with pioneering technologies and instead of animal leather, new, vegan materials are used.
In Germany there are only a few training companies that offer apprenticeships in this craft or none that specialize in vegan and bio-based materials.
Melina Bucher combines tradition and innovation
Melina Bucher revives this craft and offers young people a new perspective to incorporate their values into their work with flexible and modern working methods. “We are fortunate that many young people apply who have learned this profession and want to make a difference,” says Melina Bucher in a press release.
The fascination with craftsmanship and technical perfection are the focus of the work. “It’s nice to find out how work is valued more again through the use of sustainable materials,” says Judith Lein, master bag maker at Melina Bucher.
In the past, the Mannheim label has worked particularly with partner manufacturers in Spain. After years of research and development, it was the first brand in the world to bring a handbag made from the 100 percent plastic-free material Mirum onto the market.
“The demand was enormous, and not just from customers. Start-ups that are dedicated to material development also approached us with great interest,” says Melina Bucher. However, the various development projects associated with these diverse demands could hardly be further implemented using traditional production companies. “So having our own factory was the next logical step,” says the label.
Vegan material innovations instead of leather
In the Mannheim master company, designers and master bagmakers work hand in hand with scientists from all over the world. New material innovations are tested and our own components are also developed.
“The leather industry has a lot of catching up to do when it comes to sustainability. Most components in a bag are not recyclable. “We are actively working on solutions here,” explains the founder.
In addition to producing our own products by hand, we also create individual products according to the wishes of customers and enable product development for B2B customers.
Thanks to the know-how gained over the years in dealing with bio-based materials, the label knows that these are not plug-and-play solutions – rather, they also need new solutions for processing. “Many projects have failed in recent years because brands either didn’t have the time or the knowledge to do this development work. Conversely, innovators often don’t know how the materials are processed into a product,” reveals Melina Bucher.