Introduction

ACCALMIE. A brand run solely by Laurent Stephan, who hand-produces all of its leather products by hand, from the cutting all the way down to the sewing. At “migration”, his upcoming exhibition, Stephan will present three new forms of his work. This will be his first time selecting ostrich for his production, and he will be adding it to crocodile skin, the axis of ACCALMIE products. Migration: to transition, to cross, to relocate. What will we place in our hands? One’s thoughts reserved for detail, and the expression of practice.A stance that seeps out of the work’s presence. It can all be viewed at this exhibition.

Techniques from traditional French harness making and aesthetically pleasing transparency of needlework that uses deadstock linen thread. Materials in ACCALMIE production are limited to natural leather, hemp thread, acacia oil and the minimum amount of metal products necessary to complete the work. Paying one’s respect to nature. Form and technique that keep waste to a minimum. These are the underlying themes of Laurent Stephan’s practice.

The eyes and hands of Laurent Stephan, who spent eight years at Maison Hermes buying and cutting high-quality crocodile and reptile leather. He picks out leather from a top quality tanner,cuts it, coats it by hand with acacia oil and then pieces it together, stitch by stitch.

Working with ostrich is a first for his brand. He prepared bone, brown, and red colors and set forth on his journey with this strong yet supple material. Instead of flatly hammering out its dot-patterned bumps, he makes use of its natural expression of beauty.

garlie_a / Nobuhiko Akiyoshi