You may be surprised to know that there are now a number of places you can take your damaged and worn bags to for a ‘refresh’, spa style. They’re called Bag Spas. In fact, Hermès has its own dedicated bag spa, but if you don't own an Hermès, or do but don't want to wait the usual 3 months for your Birkin to return; you can use one of the many professional and highly skilled bag spas which can now be found Australia wide. Finally, our bags are starting to get the love and care they deserve. We spend hundreds, and even thousands on our bags, so why wouldn’t we want to give them all the TLC they deserve.
So before you think about replacing that classic Chanel that’s looking a bit tired; give one of these bag spas a try. Indeed, regular cleaning will help maintain the shape, colour and condition of your bag.
Photos. Top: thehandbagspa.com. Bottom: thehandbagclinic.com
And quite apart from the joy of seeing your tired item refreshed, it just makes sense to continue to use the pieces we love. We live in a disposable society, where the mentality is often that only something new is good. I beg to differ. Most of us have great pieces that we can enjoy for years and years, and even hand down to our children. In her book To Die For: Is Fashion Wearing Out the World?, Lucy Siegle’s writes of how British consumers now own more than four times the number of clothing items they would have in 1980. Surely it’s better to buy one piece that may be more expensive, but also more beautifully and timelessly made; than 10 cheap and nasty versions?
Photo: thehandbagspa.com
So on that note, my advice is, treasure your treasures and make sure you look after them. And while you’re at it, you can also take your wallet, shoes and leather jackets for a refresh too. And fortunately, there are now many specialist leather cleaners located around Australia. The hard part is tracking them down, but I’ve done that for you.
All States
The Leather Doctor – myleatherdoctor.com.au
Available in all states around Australia, The Leather Doctor are truly experts at restoring leather items of all kinds – they can even re-colour your leather couch or renew your car interior.
NSW + All States
Sole Heeled – soleheeled.com.au
A 3rd generation family business operating since 1955. At Sole Heeled, all repairs are performed by a team of highly experienced artisans trusted by luxury brands including Versace and R.M. Williams. It's so great to find one of the few remaining places where traditional methods are used, as sadly this is a dying art.
Even better, the clever folks at Sole Heeled have made their service super convenient for customers Australia wide. Just go to their website, get your instant quote, order online and then leave the physical transportation of your item to their free 2-way shipping service. This is a brilliant service and you should definitely get in touch with them to arrange your next repair or simply to give your bag a bit of a refresh.
VIC
Evans – evans.com.au
For over 50 years, Evans have specialised in leather restoration, water protecting, dying and colour matching. They can also re-cover shoes or handbags to match any piece of clothing. If you’re looking for experience and unmatched leather know-how; then this company is the one for you if you’re lucky enough to live in Melbourne.
QLD
Leon’s Fine Dry Cleaning – leonsfinedrycleaning.com.au
Leon’s offers advanced handbag and purse cleaning services. Their dry cleaning professionals are highly skilled in all areas of cleaning delicate fabric and fine leathers used in the manufacture of handbags.
WA
Leather and Luggage - leatherandluggage.com.au
A family owned business, operating for over 25 years and involved in the travel good industry since 1958, means that you can rest assured your handbags are in safe hands here. The team have learnt authentic leather trade practices and have in depth industry knowledge.
SA
Ideal on Hutt - T: (08) 8223 4017
Idea on Hutt specialise in the delicate process of handbag restoration and repair. They understand that your handbags are often high quality investments. They receive consignments from specialty retailers and boutiques Australia wide.
Have you taken any of your bags to a bag spa? If so, were you happy with the results and do you have any other bag spas you'd like to recommend?
Laundrowash Unanderra is a family run business with a long-standing reputation in the Illawarra region. With a wide range of facilities we are able to cater for all your laundry servicing needs. Working across domestic, commercial and industrial fields we are able to accommodate various services, delivering a premium experience every time.