With its arresting frescoes and Renaissance statues – including Michelangelo's The Genius of Victory – the grand Salone dei Cinquecento in Florence's Palazzo Vecchio was a fitting setting for the launch of Montblanc's latest leather-goods collection. This is, after all, a company that is ever mindful of history and tradition.
Also fitting was the presence of Montblanc’s global ambassador, Hugh Jackman. Scratch-, water- and heat-resistant, and made from what Montblanc declares is the strongest, most durable leather on the market, the new Extreme collection is essentially the Wolverine of the leather-goods world.
It was in 1906 that a Hamburg-based banker and a Berlin-based engineer set out to produce “simplicissimus pens”, laying the foundations for a company that, more than a 100 years later, is still synonymous with world-leading writing instruments.
Montblanc moved into leather accessories in 1926; in 2006, leather production was transferred from the brand’s native Germany to a pelletteria on the outskirts of Florence, the historical heart of Italy’s leather-making industry.
Practical, expertly crafted, understated and unashamedly classic, today the brand’s leather wallets, briefcases, bags, belts and business-card holders are the go-to accessory for the discerning gentleman.
But the new Extreme collection deviates, albeit ever so slightly, from the script. Visually, it takes its cues from carbon fibre, that most modern of materials. The shapes are contemporary; there’s the addition of the less formal clutch bag, rucksack and tote, which eschews the rectangular frame of Montblanc’s business bags for a more square-like structure.
Two years in the making, Extreme is “tailored for the urban adventurer”, and created from specially treated and finished, high-performance cow’s leather from Germany. The collection includes large leather goods, including a single gusset briefcase, document case and clutch bag, as well as the smaller passport holder, business-card holder and wallet.
To mark the launch of the new collection, Luxury was given a rare look inside Montblanc's Florentine pelletteria, to experience first-hand the unique blend of age-old artisanship and cutting-edge technology behind every product bearing Montblanc's distinct rounded star.
Every stage of the production process – from prototyping to the selection of leathers to production and quality control – is overseen from this single location.
It starts with a sketch. Using nothing more than their imaginations and a pencil, designers commit their ideas to paper. These sketches are then reconstructed using computer software to determine the precise details and dimensions of each individual piece.
These, in turn, are transformed into paper models. Every detail – from reinforcements and lining to clasps and belt buckles – is carefully considered. In the case of the Extreme collection, much thought was put into the pairing of the durable black leather, with its subtle woven structure, with lightweight fittings made from black anodised aluminium.
1. When it comes to selecting leathers, Montblanc’s specialists rely on their hands and their experience. The finest leathers are sourced from around the world, but not all will make the grade. The leather is carefully cut – a precise, unforgiving art that deals in the merest of millimetres. There is no room for waste – as much of the skin as possible is used.
2. Just as the cutting is done by hand, so too are the stitching, forging and hammering, as Montblanc’s craftsmen sculpt individual pieces of leather into aspirational accessories.
3. From climate simulators that expose them to hot and humid conditions and the effects of sunlight, to an oversized, one-armed anthropomorphic robot, which simulates aggressive use, products undergo extensive testing to ensure that they are fit for purpose.
4. The last step in the process sees each item being branded with the Montblanc logo, a simple stamp that speaks volumes about artisanship, creativity and the propagation of age-old expertise.
sdenman@thenational.ae
