Boutique Blog
Leather is better at Mudan Boutique
14 March 2007 | written by Dan
We are happy to announce the addition of some exciting new leather products to the virtual shelves of Mudan Boutique. Our good friend Yan Feng, owner of Shanghai’s popular Tree leather studio, has created three brand new handbag designs exclusively for us … and you. These are more than handbags, they are pieces of art—each one handcrafted by Yan Feng himself. They are limited edition items, as well. Only five bags in each design were made.
So, without further ado, here are Yan Feng’s creations:
He Bao handbag
Each one of these bags is one-of-a-kind, with unique pieces of antique embroidered silk decorating the front flap and shoulder strap. Every stitch is done by hand. For the He Bao handbag’s entire story and more photos, click here.
Lotus handbag
Yan Feng’s influence for the distinct shape of the Lotus handbag was an ancient copper mirror from the Han Dynasty. A single hand-cut leather lotus flower—a symbol of purity—adorns a handpainted circle of suede that doubles as a side pocket. To learn more, click here.
Lixin clutch
Named after Yan Feng’s hometown in rural Anhui province, the distressed black leather Lixin clutch is elegance with an edge. The clutch’s centerpiece is an authentic copper cattle nose ring, hand-forged by a blacksmith in Lixin. Interested? Click here.
And if handbags aren’t your thing …
Yan Feng designed two leather-bound notebooks for us, as well—and they are beauties. Each one features a genuine antique Qing Dynasty copper coin (called a Tong Qian) as a buckle. And the paper is made from bamboo. Check them out now: the larger Tong Qian leather journal and the smaller Tong Qian leather notepad.
We plan on continuing to work with Yan Feng in the future, so expect more original leather designs soon. And if you happen to be heading to Shanghai, be sure to check out one of Yan Feng’s shops—he’s a special talent (and quite a character)—just email us for the addresses. We’ll be posting an interview with him here on our blog sometime this month. And yes, he does custom orders. Email us about the design you have in mind.
It’s going to be an exciting year at Mudan Boutique. We’ve got some big things planned. Stay tuned!
