After much rewinding and pausing, there were a lot of nodding heads, 'Yes, that is definitely our bag'.
It came as a complete surprise to everyone at the workshop to find the Elvis & Kresse Yellow Tote Bag in not just one, but 3 scenes of Madam Secretary (season 4, episode 11 to be precise).
And then imagine our surprise when we tuned into the next episode and again spotted our Tote!
We have had some tweets with Geoffrey Arend, who plays Matt Mahoney, but was guest directing the first episode that we appeared in. He praised the undercover work of their 'fantastic props/costume department' and was glad 'it made it in!'.
We love being a part of a strong cast and being carried by Stevie, the lovely Wallis Currie-Wood. This bag is entirely vegan so very suitable for a character who promotes 'meatless Monday'.
We will keep watching as who knows? The Tote could become a 'Regular'.
If you have any idea about how this bag made its way to the props and costume team at Madam Secretary, please let us know. Our own sleuthing is not working.
Some of you have been to see us at Tonge Mill and many of you follow our social accounts too. The one rather unforgettable highlight is our really rather spectacular dog Monty.
He didn't have the best start, but we are veterans of rescue, and at almost 4 you couldn't meet a lovelier, crazier, bouncier, cuddlier pup.
After much prompting from all of you lovely people, and your gorgeous dogs, we are making bespoke collars again... The first went to Fifi, but we tried it out on our Monty before it left the workshop. We will be doing leads too - so just get in touch, every piece will be handmade to order from our Kent workshop.
Email: support@elvisandkresse.com
95% of British fire-hoses are red, but only 5% are yellow. For years our pallet has been dominated by lustrous shades of rich deep red. But over the last few months, there has been a dramatic increase in colour in our workshop.
Our Fire & Hide Collection combines our signature fire-hose with the unique system we have designed to rescue leather. This system transforms leather fragments from the production of Burberry leather goods into components which are then hand woven, piece by piece, into whole new hides.
Although the leather will flow to us in some regular expected colours, like black and brown, we also receive tiny amounts of very distinct colours and textures. This means you will start to see completely individual pieces on our site.
This Fire & Hide Billfold Wallet is our third One of a Kind. It combines a clear yellow textured leather reclaimed from the production of Burberry leather goods with genuine decommissioned British fire-hose, also in yellow. Due to the material available, we could only make one. When it's gone, it's gone.
95% of British fire-hoses are red, but only 5% are yellow. For years our pallet has been dominated by lustrous shades of rich deep red. But over the last few months, there has been a dramatic increase in colour in our workshop.
Our Fire & Hide Collection combines our signature fire-hose with the unique system we have designed to rescue leather. This system transforms leather fragments from the production of Burberry leather goods into components which are then hand woven, piece by piece, into whole new hides.
Although the leather will flow to us in some regular expected colours, like black and brown, we also receive tiny amounts of very distinct colours and textures. This means you will start to see completely individual pieces on our site.
This Fire & Hide Duffel Bag is our third One of a Kind. It combines a clear yellow textured leather reclaimed from the production of Burberry leather goods with genuine decommissioned British fire-hose, also in yellow. Due to the material available, we could only make one. When it's gone, it's gone.
95% of British fire-hoses are red but only 5% are yellow. For years our pallet has been dominated by lustrous shades of rich deep red. But over the last few months, there has been a dramatic increase in colour in our workshop.
Our Fire & Hide Collection combines our signature fire-hose with the system we have designed to rescue leather. This system transforms leather fragments from the production of Burberry leather goods into components which are then hand woven, piece by piece, into whole new hides.
Although the leather will flow to us in some regular, expected colours like black and brown, we also receive tiny amounts of very unique colours and textures. This means you will start to see completely individual pieces on our site.
This Post Bag is our first One of a Kind. It combines a clear yellow textured leather reclaimed from the production of Burberry leather goods with genuine decommissioned British fire-hose, also in yellow. The reclaimed parachute lining is a luscious harvest gold. Due to the material available, we could only make one. When it's gone, it's gone.
If you love this yellow, stay tuned or contact us. There will be a few more pieces featuring it, which we will post about in the coming weeks and months.
Gifts are older than and not unique to people; spiders are known to give gifts! They are given in thanks, to attract mates, in celebration, as a show of kindness or support, or to mark a particular milestone or achievement. Over the next several weeks many of us will spend a lot of time thinking about who we would like to buy or make gifts for, and what they might like. Giving good gifts takes that one step further.
The gift you are giving is a thing-in-itself, whether it be time, a cake you have made or a bottle of wine. And what is that thing? What is its story? If it were a car, what is under its hood? Is it organic, fair trade, recycled, in any way sustainable or ethical? Does it support disadvantaged communities, does it protect the environment?
And does anyone have time to do that much research?
Luckily, in the UK, Social Enterprise UK and B Lab have done this work for you. They evaluate businesses and understand the story behind their products and services. If you are going to buy something look for these logos (among others), they are the best way to ensure you are giving truly good gifts.
This may not seem important, but after a dizzying scan through the available online statistics it looks like the Great British Public spent £77.56 billion on Christmas in 2016 and over 20 billion of that was on gifts. Yes, these are billions of pounds.
Think of this money as an investment in good businesses, ones that are designed to solve problems and designed to give back. Think of it as a downpayment on the future that is more likely to be better for everyone’s Grandchildren. Year round spending matters too, but Christmas is about goodness, it is about giving, sharing and celebrating. So why not Give Good Gifts?
Are we biased? Yes, Elvis & Kresse is both a Social Enterprise and a B Corp. We make no apologies for doing our absolute best to be a very, very good business.
The Burberry Foundation today announces the launch of a five-year partnership with Elvis & Kresse, a sustainable luxury company creating lifestyle accessories by re-engineering waste material through innovative craftsmanship. Elvis & Kresse have received a grant from the Burberry Foundation to support their work and will also transform at least 120 tonnes of leather off cuts from the production of Burberry products into a range of accessories and homeware, designed and sold by Elvis & Kresse. Half of the profits from this range will be donated to charitable causes focused on renewable energy. The remaining half will be reinvested by Elvis & Kresse to expand their work in reducing and reusing waste, protecting the environment and inspiring craftspeople.
It is estimated that each year, at least 800,000 tonnes of leather waste are produced by the global leather industry*. In the creation of leather goods, even when patterns are carefully planned to maximise the hide, the process inevitably creates small off cuts. These are high quality, unused, freshly tanned and dyed leather, but fall to the workshop floor as seemingly unusable pieces. Elvis & Kresse has designed a system that transforms these fragments into components, which are then hand woven into a new kind of hide that is unrestricted by size or shape.
By demonstrating what can be achieved when leather waste is revalued, and created into entirely new products, Elvis & Kresse and the Burberry Foundation aim to affect real change in the supply chain of the leather goods industry. Where leather waste is usually destroyed, the partnership with Elvis & Kresse will disrupt the accepted approaches and reveal new solutions.
Christopher Bailey, a trustee of The Burberry Foundation and President and Chief Creative Officer of Burberry Group, said: “We are delighted to be supporting the work of Elvis & Kresse and providing them with the leather off cuts to create truly innovative products. Leather is a precious material, yet many of the off cuts generated by the design process are seen as worthless. We believe that this can change, and we are proud to lead the way in showing how creativity and craftsmanship can play a part in solving this issue.”
Kresse Wesling, CoFounder of Elvis & Kresse, said: “Elvis & Kresse was founded to rescue London’s fire hose. When we decided to tackle the much, much larger leather problem, we knew we would need a brave partner. We are grateful for the support of the Burberry Foundation and are truly excited to scale this solution, and magnify its impact. This is the kind of work we are made for and this is the kind of partnership that will change the future of luxury.”
In addition to creating new leather products, the partnership will also generate apprenticeship and work experience opportunities with Elvis & Kresse and reach thousands of people through public events, competitions and workshops.
The grant from the Burberry Foundation to Elvis & Kresse is also in line with Burberry’s new Responsibility agenda, of which a principal goal is to invent new approaches to revaluing waste over the next five years.
To view the first handcrafted pieces from this partnership please visit the following link - The Fire & Hide Collection by Elvis & Kresse
Media enquiries
Burberry: Cecilia Coonan, Cecilia.coonan@burberry.com
Elvis & Kresse: Kresse Wesling, kresse@elvisandkresse.com
NOTES TO EDITORS
Elvis & Kresse and Burberry
Elvis & Kresse was launched to solve the problem of London’s decommissioned fire hose. When the hose was too damaged to repair, it was simply going to landfill. Since 2005 they have been collecting all of London’s hoses, transforming them into high quality, hand-crafted lifestyle accessories. They donate 50% of the profits from this collection to the Fire Fighters Charity.
Elvis & Kresse have also turned their attention to tackling the waste created in the production of leather goods and will expand this work with a grant from the Burberry Foundation.
Elvis & Kresse are a certified Benefit Corporation (B Corp).
The Burberry Foundation
The Burberry Foundation was set up in 2008 by Burberry Group plc as an independent charity (UK registered charity number 1154468) for general charitable purposes and grant-making. The Foundation Board comprises two Burberry representatives as well as an independent trustee. The Board meets four times a year and is responsible for upholding the Foundation’s vision and ensuring delivery of its charitable purpose.
The Foundation is dedicated to using the power of creativity to drive positive change in our communities, and build a sustainable future through innovation. The Foundation is taking a long-term approach focusing its grant-making on reducing waste, promoting the STEAM agenda (integrating art into the traditional science, technology, engineering, and maths agenda), tackling educational inequality and supporting social and economic development.
About Burberry Group’s Responsibility Agenda
Burberry’s Responsibility agenda is designed to drive positive change and build a more sustainable future through innovation. Our new five-year programme “Creating Tomorrow’s Heritage” focuses on three ambitious goals:
*United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, Leather and Leather Products Industry Panel, December 2000
One thing we didn’t expect when we started Elvis & Kresse was just how much we would get to know some of our customers. We started with a website, not with a shop, so we didn’t think we would get to meet or talk to so many of you. The Elvis & Kresse workshop has always been open too and we love how many of you have come to see us, first in Bournemouth, then Poole, then Verwood and since 2013 at our beloved Tonge Mill.
Many of you love our fire hose collection because, as fire hose is a synthetic nitrile rubber, it is not leather and contains no animal by-products. Our lining, zippers and other hardware, adhesives and packaging do not contain animal by-products either.
When we started to learn about the enormous scale of waste in the leather industry we knew we had to act. We knew we had to do something about the 800,000 tonnes of high quality leather that ends up on the cutting room floor each year. This scrap goes to landfill or incineration, its value is completely lost. We have 2 collections using this rescued leather, our rugs and our Fire & Hide pieces.
But.
We were concerned that many of our animal loving customers might find this new collection confusing and disappointing.
If you do, please call us. Please come and see us. We have had four vegan visitors so far and although not all of them would wear or use these pieces, they are still very keen to support our work. For us the mission has always been to rescue as much material as we can, to ensure that it retains a high value and contributes back to society. This is as true with the leather as it is with the hose. Knowing that this problem exists, and that we can help to solve it meant we had to act. If we are capable, we are responsible.
Our signature fire hose collection will always continue to be entirely animal free.
We thank you for your continued support and if we haven’t met you yet, we certainly hope to in the future.
Love, Elvis & Kresse
Lovely piece on us in Woman & Home magazine this month. Featuring several businesses that are succeeding with a focus on 'doing good', this article is definitely part of a wider trend questioning the very definition of success. Can a business be described as successful if it is a net polluter? Or if it doesn't treat its colleagues with dignity and adopt living wage standards as a minimum?
For us success is about how much material we can rescue and transform, it is about how much we can donate. There is an added bonus to running a business this way too. It makes us happy.
Elvis & Kresse was launched to solve the problem of London’s decommissioned fire hose, hose that was too damaged to repair was going to landfill. In 2005 we fell in love with these beautiful, life saving hoses and mounted a rescue. For over a decade we have been doing just that, saving all of London’s hoses. We have transformed them into a high quality, hand-crafted collection of bags, belts and wallets. We have donated 50% of the profits from this collection to the Fire Fighters Charity. But this one material was just the beginning. Over the years we have brought many more materials back to life, and have made ongoing commitments to over 10 unique materials that previously had no hope of being reused or recycled.
Our most ambitious material challenge to date is the world’s leather waste. Each year, 800,000 tonnes of beautiful leather ends up on the cutting room floor. Our leather partners, the best of British luxury, cherish their hides and the waste they produce is in small seemingly unusable pieces. In order to rescue these fragments we developed a modular approach. We created three shapes that interlock to create whole new hides. Each shape is individually cut before we lovingly hand weave them together, piece by piece, creating a strong, beautiful and tactile new material.
Don’t worry, our commitment to rescuing British fire hoses has not changed. London’s hoses remain our constant inspiration. The trim, handles and much of the internal and external detailing of the Fire & Hide range are all made from genuine decommissioned fire-hose.
Fire & Hide is more than a collection, it represents a whole new kind of luxury.
What a joyful, sunny, dream day. It really started the night before, when we stayed with our friends, the founders of Riversimple. They are designing a hydrogen car system that aims to eliminate the environmental impact of personal travel.
Steve Dring was also there, he is an incredible environmental entrepreneur, who grows micro-greens in an abandoned London Tube Station. It was a hot night, we were up late in their garden, drinking wine and discussing our businesses and their respective challenges. They live on the Welsh border, but it felt a lot more like Tuscany or Provence.
The next day we all shared the stage at Hay, talking about the environment and enjoying the sounds of thousands of children enjoying the festival and its several ice cream stands.
Days like these, filled with fun and curiosity and truly innovative solutions, are certainly good for the soul.
This won't be our last trip to Hay.
#thisisluxury
