FASHION FEATURE MEET THE LOCAL CRAFTSMEN
Yoma and Elyse met in college; Yoma studied graphic design, and Elyse studied fine art. They became a couple during their university years. After Yoma first handcrafted a leather backpack for Elyse, she gradually fell in love with the craft, and later they founded the brand Broken Fingers together. All leather goods are entirely handmade, and unlike other handcrafted brands, Broken Fingers' craftsmanship is as exquisite as that of high-end leather goods brands. The artisans behind them are a group of disabled people from sheltered workshops.
Y: Yoma E: Elyse
Why create Broken Fingers?
Y: In 2014, I made a leather backpack for her. It was my first handmade leather item, and that's when I discovered my interest in leather goods. Handmade markets were very popular back then, so I decided to give it a try and founded the brand Broken Fingers. I remember one day when we were making leather goods together, we both pricked our fingers at the same time, and then we both sent photos to each other at the same time, so we just named the brand Broken Fingers. I studied graphic design and like things to be neat and orderly, and that applies to leather goods as well. Whether the holes and stitching are neat affects the overall aesthetics; actually, I'm a bit of a perfectionist.
Where does the brand draw its design inspiration?
Y: The main focus is on simplicity, without too many fancy details, so most of the designs are square. The inspiration mainly comes from the first backpack I gave her, which is a bit like a Japanese elementary school student's backpack. All subsequent designs have developed from that backpack.
E: We often use geometric shapes; I like structural designs. Later, I had an idea to incorporate things I like in life into the designs. For example, I like biology, so I have a series about cells. I like drawing, so I'll be in charge of color matching. We divide the work: I'm mainly responsible for the concept and design, while she's in charge of selling the patterns.
Could you share the leather goods manufacturing process?
Y: We source our leather from France and Italy. For handbags, we add a leather core, and in some areas, we even overlap three to five pieces of leather to make the bag more three-dimensional and structured, depending on the design and shape. The leather cores we use are all cowhide, which is glued together after the entire piece of leather is coated with glue. I prefer to use a European-style diamond punch for perforation; the European and Japanese stitches differ, creating a wavy pattern. After punching, we hand-stitch the seams, which is the most time-consuming part, but hand-stitching is definitely stronger than machine-stitching. Because we use vegetable-tanned leather, which is relatively stiff, we apply an edge sealant to the edges. We don't use edge paint because it will peel off over time and is difficult to repair. Although the edge sealant will wear down, it won't fall off; in fact, it will become smoother with use. Just like vegetable-tanned leather, it will darken with use, which is what's called "skin conditioning."
Why insist on hand-sewing leather goods when machines can almost replace them for production?
E: Building a brand isn't for personal gain, but to contribute to society and the industry as a whole, hoping that Hong Kong's craftsmanship can be passed down. If you're looking for cheap options, mainland factories are actually more suitable.
Y: We collaborate with a sheltered workshop. The public's impression of sheltered workshops is mostly about packaging and stickers, but all our leather goods are handmade by them. Before that, we made everything ourselves, but the two of us couldn't handle the demand, so we tried collaborating with a factory. About four years ago, a leather merchant introduced us to this sheltered workshop. They were very passionate about leather crafts, and we hit it off immediately. Actually, they themselves had some knowledge of leather crafts, as they made and sold leather goods. They hoped to go beyond packaging and stickers and learn more advanced techniques. The sheltered workshop has people with autism and moderate intellectual disabilities; one even lost an arm, but he's very good at making patterns. We only need to provide a sketch, and he can design a paper doll. Some are blind, but their stitching is very precise; they sew by feel. We see them as a family; we appreciate each other, and we share the same philosophy. We're very fortunate to have found this group. They can use their skills to be self-reliant, which makes it even more meaningful. As creators, we all have our own passions. Even if the general public can't distinguish between hand-stitched and machine-stitched pieces, each work reflects our hard work and dedication.