Making and replacing braided handles for the bag

This Liviana Conti bag came to the studio with damaged braided handles. The body of the bag could still be used, but the handles had lost the condition needed for comfortable daily wear and for the bag to look complete.

In this type of repair, replacing the handles with a simple flat leather strap would be technically possible, but it would change the character of the object. The original handles were braided, and that construction was part of the bag’s visual identity. The task was therefore not just to make new handles, but to recreate the missing structure as closely as possible to the original.

The first step was selecting leather that matched the bag in colour, texture, and general surface character. This is especially important in repair work: if the new leather is too different, the repaired part immediately looks foreign. The aim was to make the new handles feel visually integrated with the existing bag.

After selecting the leather, I made leather cords and used them to weave new braided handles according to the parameters of the original ones. The proportions, thickness, flexibility, and attachment points all had to be controlled so that the handles would remain practical, comfortable in the hand, and visually balanced with the bag.

The finished repair restored both function and appearance. The bag could be used again, while the new handles preserved the design language of the original piece rather than replacing it with a generic solution.

This work is closely related to other bespoke bag-detail projects, such as recreating a missing JACQUEMUS shoulder strap, where the new leather element also has to restore both practical use and the intended character of the object.

If you have a bag with damaged handles, a missing strap, or another leather detail that needs to be repaired or recreated, I can help evaluate whether the best solution is restoration, replacement, or a bespoke reconstruction close to the original design.