“The pursuit of what she terms ‘quiet beauty’ has defined the work of American designer Deborah Ehrlich ever since she began producing pieces in the late 1990s.”— AARON PEASLEY, WALLPAPER*

Someone gave me a retired sail and I loved the light and the strength of the material. Then Richard-Watson said I could use their drawer-pull; Stone Barns said I could use the hides from the cows for Blue Hill. The project kept gaining momentum. I was introduced to a second generation handbag manufacturer owned by two sisters in Florence, Italy. 

And it’s the result of the hand of at least thirty friends who have each added some detail, leaving traces of their touch with each decision- not to mention the artisans who have the full knowledge of their craft.

This is not an unusual bag- but it does carry the light, it shows evidence of the sails on the water, it showsevidence of the farm life on the leather.

Regarding the proportion: the point has always been to dial it in to the point where it’s invisible. Finding a perfectly balanced proportion is like feeling in the dark for a door handle – when you come upon it, the emptiness becomes structured. It's very, very clear that by finding it, you are holding onto a much larger piece of architecture.

This is a pet project. I don’t know how many are going to be made. Probably not a lot. We hand cut the sails and will only be making these as long as it’s fun.

As with everything we do, we let the raw materials shine, and the craftsmanship is exceptional.

-- Deborah Ehrlich