Over the last 16 years, Elvis & Kresse have pioneered a new form of luxury, addressing the problem of waste with traditional craftship and a great deal of care. Made from the London Fire Brigade’s decommissioned fire hose, the Weekend Bag is one of their most iconic items.
So much so that the Weekend Bag was honoured with iconic status by the V&A, and it can now be found in their Bags: Inside Out exhibition until Sunday, 16th January 2022. Before we hear more about the exhibition, here’s the story behind Elvis & Kresse’s inspiring innovation.
Check out the Weekend Bag and more in our Elvis & Kresse collection.
A New Form Of Luxury
Back in 2005, James Henrit (Elvis), and Kresse Wesling saw an opportunity to disrupt the luxury fashion industry. They’d heard the London Fire Brigade were going to chuck their decommissioned fire hoses on landfill, so they set up Elvis & Kresse and put a stop to it.
In over a decade since then, none of London’s fire-hose has gone to waste, reclaiming over 200 tons of nitrile rubber. Luxury brands often use nitrile rubber in their products. But, this was a new form of luxury, one that brought new life to disused lifesavers.
The material is designed to withstand the toughest environments, so Elvis & Kresse knew they had some high quality material on their hands. To honour that quality, Elvis spent five years perfecting the billfold wallet, combining the durable material with classic utilitarian design.
Since then, they’ve gone on to produce wallets, bags, belts, cases and more, paying living wages, creating apprenticeships and giving 50% of their profits to the Fire Fighter’s Charity.
We are thrilled for Elvis and Kresse, who have been with us since 2016. It is a testament to their unrelenting pursuit of bringing new value to old waste, producing style that tells a story before it’s even been bought.
Presented as a Pioneer at the V&A
Bags: Inside Out is an exhibition dedicated to the “ultimate accessory”, exploring our love of bags of all cultures and kinds.
The collection features around 300 objects, from designer handbags to vintage trunks, displaying the immense range of style, function and craftsmanship in bag making from the 16th century to the present day.
Elvis & Kresse’s Weekend Bag will star in the final section of the exhibition, where the focus is on innovation and environmentally sustainable materials, a much needed message for an accessory that too often ends up in landfill.
Check out the Weekend Bag and more in our Elvis & Kresse collection.
Bags: Inside Out was exhibited until Sunday 16th January 2022.
