Funeral of a Swallow: Attaché Case by Studio Ruuger



June 4, 2015

‘Exclusivity’ is one of twenty-one terms employed throughout What is Luxury? These terms, non-hierarchical and far from providing a comprehensive set of definitions, serve as an entry-point into the complex subject of the exhibition and a tool for interpreting objects which could be described as luxury as a result of the context of their production. In the first section of the exhibition, ‘Creating Luxury,’ this is presented in terms of investment in time –in research as well as making- and application of exemplary skill. Objects which pay homage to traditional design archetypes and techniques as well as objects embodying extraordinary levels of innovation and risk-taking have been included. Within this section, objects have been organised under the terms in a series of juxtapositions in order to extend definitions and expand on contemporary understanding.

Creating Luxury

Exclusivity is not just about the status conferred on (or withheld from) individuals in relation their social standing and economic status. Exclusivity also results from the cultivation of specialist knowledge and niche interests. It can engender feelings of belonging to a larger group but is often something very personal and specific to the individual. Exclusivity can be understood in relation to the process of connoisseurship, cultivated in the making and development of unique objects as well as in their selection. We have chosen an attaché case by Studio Ruuger as one of the objects to represent this term.

Exclusivity-Window

Studio Ruuger is run by Oliver Ruuger and Volker Koch in De Beauvior Town, a small pocket of trendy East London where many artisanal businesses still run from small workshops amidst rapid large-scale development and gentrification of the surrounding area. Their small studio has been operating there for just over a year, though Ruuger and Koch have been working together on the label since shortly after graduating from the MA Fashion Artefact programme at London College of Fashion in 2011. Ruuger’s graduation collection featured conventional men’s accessories, such as umbrellas and briefcases, though with a subversive twist: long leather-clad quills and brass studs envelop the exterior of a briefcase, bringing the question of its functionality into sharp relief; a stunning umbrella, of which Ruuger has developed each of the components himself, has an elaborately twisted handle adorned with a thick lock of horse hair. The collection garnered considerable critical attention and was awarded ‘Accessories Collection of the Year’ at ITS (International Talent Support) 10 and selected as one of Selfridge’s ‘Bright Young Things’ in 2012.

Since its launch, Studio Ruuger has continued to specialise in men’s accessories, focusing primarily on limited edition and bespoke umbrellas and cases. One such attaché case was featured in the Crafts Council’s touring exhibition Added Value? (2012). This case brings together traditional leatherworking techniques with present-day technologies, such as additive manufacturing (or 3D printing), laser engraving and computer-automated design. Entitled Night at the House of Epicurus, its elaborate pictorial surfaces depict scenes of moral and spiritual folly taking place over the course of an evening of revelry and excess. The story and graphics were developed collaboratively with writer Mihkel Kaevats and illustrator Stuart Patience with the intention of reimagining the men’s case as a highly decorative and expressive object: ‘traditionally sombre and black, the attaché case is the quintessential British accessory; the nondescript, carefully-locked companion to a businessman’s dark suit and dark thoughts. This project imagines what might truly be inside such a man’s mind.’

Graphics for 'Funeral of a Swallow,' Studio Ruuger, 2015. Courtesy of Studio Ruuger
Graphics for ‘Funeral of a Swallow,’ Studio Ruuger, 2015. Courtesy of Studio Ruuger

Funeral of a Swallow, on display in What is Luxury?, again takes the classic attaché case design as a starting point, this time embellishing its surfaces with a baroque motifs inspired by 16th and 17th century Flemish flower garland paintings. These genre paintings were connected to the visual imagery of the Counter-Reformation movement and depicted devotional figures such as the Virgin Mary with child surrounded by flowers. Ruuger replaces the central figure with the humble swallow to convey the fragility of ordinary life: ‘what initially appears as a romantic arrangement of flora, on closer inspection turns into a death scene: the flowers appear torn, broken and carelessly scattered, as a small bird lies amongst them with a broken wing, in a slew of lost feathers.’

Detail of the inlay process. Courtesy of Studio Ruuger
Detail of the inlay process. Courtesy of Studio Ruuger
Selection of the tanned hides from Alran S.A.S.
Selection of the tanned hides from Alran S.A.S.

In the spirit of still life painting, Ruuger created a large Perspex flower press in his studio, where he was able to observe and capture the flowers at various stages of decomposition. From these studies, the flower and swallow pattern was digitally rendered. It contains 1046 separate pieces of goat leather in 12 graduated shades of colour, which were developed in collaboration with French tannery Alran S.A.S. Each piece was individually cut and painstakingly inlayed in a process that took the studio over 300 hours to complete, resulting in a single smooth surface which was carefully stretched onto the 3D printed base. The base was designed using Rhino software with integrated brass locks and hinges.

Custom hinges for 'Funeral of a Swallow,' Studio Ruuger, 2015. Courtesy of Studio Ruuger
Custom hinges for ‘Funeral of a Swallow,’ Studio Ruuger, 2015. Courtesy of Studio Ruuger

Funeral of a Swallow is exemplary of how innovative uses of newly accessible technologies can enable small design studios to continue to invest in high level craft production for a niche audience and collector. 3D printing the base structure of the case enables the studio to work on a limited edition and commission basis, as they can be printed on demand, enabling the studio to avoid the high minimums set by most types of manufactures. The base has been rendered in-house, which enables the designers to be meticulously exacting about each detail to the last millimetre. No drilling, soldering, filing or filling is required; the leather to be stretched seamlessly across the surface. This enables the studio to focus on developing and perfecting techniques of leather finishing, mostly completed by hand and with the assistance of machinery dating back to the mid-20th century.

Leather splitting and skiving machinery at Studio Ruuger
Leather splitting and skiving machinery at Studio Ruuger
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This post explains the tough process that craftsman went through to create a model that is entirely different from other fashion items. Hats off to everyone who is involved in the process.

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