Bespoke umbrellas are kind of
long forgotten items. Nowadays, they are the kind of thing you get when you
already own a number of bespoke shoes, predated by a number of bespoke shirts
and suits.
To commission a bespoke job,
a customer begins by selecting the wood that will be used for both the stick
and the handle. Customers can choose walnut, hickory, beech, cedar, oak,
rosewood, apple tree, elm, ash tree, red chestnut (with or without rind),
cherry wood, wild cherry wood, ebony, hazelnut tree, bamboo, and sugar cane.
The process of getting both the stick and the handle to form out of a single
piece of a wood is so laborious (involving steam, skill, and time) that it can
take about six months to get it to the right shape. The result is a piece of
wood that is both flexible and sturdy, and contains no breaks or cuts. If the
customer likes a bit more detailing, the handle can be braided with leather or
some kind of exotic material. [1]
For the canopy a blend of
cotton, silk, and wool is used. Teflon is applied in order to waterproof the
fabric, and a little bit of extra fabric is hand sewn into the pockets that
grip the canopy to the spokes in order to make them sturdier. Any fabric
pattern can be chosen - solid, regimental, tartan, pin dots, etc. It’s bespoke,
so really the customer’s imagination is the only limit. Once the fabric is
chosen, it is cut into trapezoids, ironed, and then sewn together.
Bespoke umbrellas makers :
James Smith & Sons, London , UK
Francesco Maglia, Milano, IT,
website here.
Michel Heurtault, Paris, FR, website here.
Pasotti ombrelli, Castellucchio,
IT, website here.
A list of distinct umbrella
makers worldwide, can be found here.
Should you wish to explore
more on the subject :
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