Reviving a 90s Icon: A Custom Leather Belt Inspired by Versace

A project that we’re particularly proud of and that embodies the essence of our work as artisans dates back to a few years ago, when a girl named R.L. came to us with a special request: to create a leather belt that resembled a Versace model from the 90s, an accessory that her father had deeply loved and that she, despite numerous searches, had not been able to find even in the secondhand market.

Italian fashion, especially in the 90s, was anything but simple and sober. This belt featured about 300 rivets, a unique set of buckle, metal loops and metal tip, plus several studs, all made with two different finishes, gold and silver. Unable to use the famous Medusa, Versace's iconic symbol, we opted for studs depicting a lion's head, an equally fascinating alternative.

This project required several months of work and the involvement of numerous Italian artisans, each with their own expertise and passion. From leather punching to laser marking for the millimeter-precise arrangement of over 250 rivets, every detail was handled with the utmost attention and precision. However, the biggest challenge was finding the buckle set.

After countless phone calls to belt buckle manufacturers and retailers, and after viewing hundreds of them in various catalogs and websites, it seemed that there was nothing close to the original. Just when hopes seemed to be fading, a small artisan company from Florence replied to us: "I remember that buckle, I crafted it for Versace back in the day." We were shocked! After a brief "telephone courtship," we managed to convince the company to put that buckle and its related accessories back into production, exclusively for us and for that belt.

The beauty of working with small artisan companies is just that: customer satisfaction comes first, not big numbers and financial results. The customer comes before everything else.

Once the accessories were obtained and the right vegetable-tanned leather was selected, also coming from the Florence district - a soft but thick and resistant enough leather to support all those rivets - the final creation of the belt took only a few days.

It was a pleasure to involve R.L. in all the moments and steps that took place over the 5 months that her project required, a period of time that many might consider absurd for a "simple" belt. But for R.L., and for us as well, it wasn't, and her words still move us today when we listen to them (don't miss this part: 02:25 😉).

Unfortunately, today, that famous Florentine company that reproduced the Versace buckle just for us no longer exists, absorbed by a larger company, run by tie-wearing managers whose ultimate goal is only big numbers. So it would no longer be possible for us to fulfill R.L.'s dream if she contacted us today.

This is why it is essential to support small artisan businesses: without them, many dreams would remain unfulfilled. Craftsmanship is an art that must be preserved and valued, because it is through the skilled hands of artisans that ideas come to life and desires are transformed into tangible realities.

Every creation carries a story. May this one inspire you to treasure what is truly rare.