EN POINTE

BUCKET BAG

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Type: SCHOLA Final Collection

Year: 2025

Role: Designer & Leather Artisan

The En Pointe bucket bag is inspired by the graceful silhouette of a ballet pointe shoe, reinterpreted through soft leather and fluid ruching. The gathered top mimics the delicate tension of a dancer’s tied ribbons, while the bag’s structure subtly echoes the shape of a ballet shoe vamp. Designed to capture the dynamic movement and quiet strength of ballet, this piece blends softness with form, celebrating feminine elegance.

DESIGN CONCEPT

Inspiration: The fluidity of ballet movement and the shape and silhouette of ballet point shoes.

Key Elements:

Ruched leather mimicking a cotton ballet slipper
Soft and slouchy silhouette
Adjustable top handle for versatility

The goal was to capture the feeling of lightness and motion within the structure of a leather bag designed for everyday sophistication.

TECHNIQUES AND MATERIALS

Materials:

Italian lambskin leather (blush nude)
Italian suede goatskin (baby blue)
Microfibre 1.7mm
Seta (fabric pocket lining)
Braided rope core (cordone)
Magnets — 1 pair
Edge paint

Techniques used:

Edge painting – Strap
Machine stitching
Hand pattern making
Hand pattern cutting
Binding

INITIAL SKETCH

Challenge

Constructing the lining that complements the structure and aesthetic of the bag without compromising its functionality.

Solution

Closing the panels of the lining by using an edge binding technique with the base panel of the bag.

Challenge

The original design had a seam where the chord handle would go through. The sewing had to be done freehand, making it challenging to maintain a consistent, parallel distance between the seam and the top edge of the bag.

Solution

Getting rid of the seam entirely, while maintaining the functionality of the original design with the lining of the bag.

Challenge

Calculating the exact dimensions of the front and back panels, caused by the diagonal side seams of the bag.

Solution

Adjusting multiple prototypes.