Time and again designers are faced with leftover material. Looking at it, the question might arise what to do with it. Discard it as no longer useful? Or continue to use it for something else, maybe for something one never intended to make in the first place?

In the case of Italian product designer Alice Rosignoli, we can count ourselves lucky that she took a second look. In 2010, various Italian tanneries had supplied her leather to prototype home furnishings. After completing her project, she used large pieces of leather leftover to sew bags for herself. Soon people fell in love with her creations and urged her on to produce in larger quantities: La Débraillée was born.

Being her own first ever customer, Alice has remained true to herself on all levels. La Débraillée clearly epitomises a designer who sees no need to conform to passing trends. The brand’s shapes are timeless and do not seek to change with every season. For the current collection, however, Alice has decided to add two new colours, red and white, to the brand’s signature black. Elegant and essential, yet always extremely practical and versatile, the bags—for her and for him—are made to be utilised and exhibited in a fast-paced urban environment. Furthermore, although a Parisian by choice, Alice has located the entire production of the brand to Italy. All materials and accessories used in manufacture are sourced from her home country.

La Débraillée shows that a pile of leftover leather may be a vision in disguise. Put in the right hands it may even lead to handbags in which shape and aesthetics merge harmoniously in a perfect, balanced design.