To keep your La&Bel bag beautiful as the year pass, we recommend following these guidelines for its care :

• Before first use, we suggest applying a protective spray to protect the beautiful finish. (Always test the protective product on a small surface before using it to determine possible changes in colour or texture)
• Beware not to scratch or rub your product against abrasive surfaces, especially the leather trim.
• As the leathers have a natural treatment, they must be protected from humidity. Keep them away from water or from any other liquid that could alter the leather's texture or colour. If your product does get wet, you can dab it dry with a light-coloured and absorbent cloth.
• Avoid direct exposure to sunlight, keep your product away from any direct source of heat (radiators, car interiors overheated by the sun, etc).
• Avoid contact with greasy substances, cosmetics, perfume, and hydro alcoholic solutions, as well as any material (magazines, other leathers, etc.) that may transfer their coloured pigments onto the product.
• To protect your product when you are not using it, store it in the cotton La&Bel dust bag.

Aside from these general guidelines, every kind of leather has its characteristics. Therefore, it needs its own care and treatment:

Smooth Calf Leather

The manufacturing of the leather follows artisanal tanning methods, which give it its natural touch. With use small creases may develop and colour may change slightly, adding to its charm.

Although all of our calf leathers have been treated with water protection products, they have a natural finish so over exposure to water should be avoided. Should the product get wet, please remove any residual water with a dry cloth and allow it to dry naturally.

Should the leather get scratched or worn you can apply a gentle leather cream to areas. Please try first on a small surface on the base of the bag or somewhere not visible to make sure the leather cream you use is the right colour and has the right finish. It's not advisable to use leather creams on matte leathers as leather creams often create a slightly shiny effect.

For light colours, please avoid contact with clothing with strong dyes such as dark jeans as they may stain the leather when rubbed against the fabric.

 

Soft Nubuck leather:

With use small creases may develop and colour may change slightly, adding to its charm.

Nubuck is a unique and delicate material, it is best to avoid contact with light coloured clothing and upholstery as dye from this leather may transfer.

For light coloured nubuck avoid contact with clothing with strong dyes such as dark jeans as they may stain the leather when rubbed against

Nubuck leather has a natural finish, therefore exposure to water should be avoided.

Should the product get wet, please remove any residual water with a dry cloth and allow it to dry naturally. Because Nubuck has a very soft, velvety finish, water drops can darken the leather temporarily, returning to its original colour upon drying. If any water marks were to remain, brush the leather with a soft brush to remove any particles and unify the look of the leather. It's important that the brushes used are soft, made of materials such as nylon to brush the leather without causing any harm, avoid using any hard plastic or metal brushes. Use the same type of brush to remove any loose dirt.

 

Salmon and Pirarucu fish leather:

To keep fish leathers looking their very best over the years, we recommend using a leather spray to protect the beautiful finish.

As all our fish leather are fully ecologically treated, please only use a gentle leather protection that is also suitable for  Nubuck/ Suede.

Fish leather, as any other natural product, may show some “beauty marks”. Moreover, the scales will naturally lift slightly as they age. These signs of nature define the very value of our products and where they originate from.

Fish leather care is actually pretty easy. Generally, a clean, dry cloth is all you’ll need to keep it clean. Brush gently across the surface of your fish. It’s important to brush in the direction of the scales for minimal abrasive damage,

If there’s a lot of dirt built up, you can very slightly damp your cloth to help you on your way, but take care not to get it too wet. For sparkling fish leather care, keep water on the no-list, ironic as it sounds.

Look out for is sunlight and heat. While your fish scales should be expected to lighten in colour over time, sunlight and heat will speed this up significantly in addition to drying and making it brittle.

Fish leather care for spills involves drying the spot up immediately using soft cloth. Blot, don’t wipe.

If a stain gets involved, try mixing mild soap with water, mixing and applying the suds to a cloth (do not get the cloth wet) and wipe it across the stain (in the direction of the fish scales).

For grease stains, try sprinkling a tiny amount of corn starch over the stain and leaving it there overnight. Afterwards, gently brush it off with a soft, bristled brush. The starch should absorb the grease, and leave your fish leather spot-free.