Unfold, the making of the Oyster bag
The Oyster bag marks the beginning of the Shell Collection, a project that grew from collecting shells and observing how they form, layer, and evolve. Their natural logic of folding and protection became a starting point for a new way of thinking about bags for me, combining natural form with functional design.
The result is a bag that moves with the body. It folds and drapes according to the leather’s character. The form was developed through repeated prototyping, guided by origami-inspired techniques and careful material study.
De Oesterij
This project led us to De Oesterij in Zeeland, a place shaped by the same attention to process and time. Here, oysters grow with patience, guided by the tide and by time. No two are alike, much like the handmade process. This connection between craft and nature became the foundation of our campaign. In conversation with Jean Dhooge, we explored the parallels between oyster farming and design.
Jean: “Oysters, of course, take time to cultivate. Four years, with everything in between, including all the risks. You start with a tiny oyster seed, and in the meantime, so much can happen. Farming in the sea is really just waiting, waiting, waiting. You have little control over whether it will survive, what the quality will be, or exactly what shape it will take. And that’s quite beautiful.”
Lies: “In fashion, there is an expectation to always move forward, to release, to produce. But sometimes, the right choice is to pause—to refine, to rethink, to let the process unfold organically. The Oyster Bag was meant to launch last year, but it wasn’t ready.”
Jean: “In the end, you have to be creative. You constantly have to adapt—to changes in nature, climate, rising sea levels. There’s no handbook for it. You must think, adjust, and create solutions. That applies to many craft professions. We may not make the oyster, but we guide the process as well as possible to produce something beautiful.”
the making of the Oyster bag
The Oyster bag is crafted in Calfino leather and handmade in our Italian atelier. Each piece reflects a balance of structure and fluidity, and marks the beginning of a new chapter in our work with form.
