Sabine takes out of her greige backpack three silky leather pieces in a soft nude color. In 30 seconds flat, she turns them into a stylish wallet. Over ginger lemonades, she tells us about her DIY sustainable concept, YURS.
The pieces fit like a puzzle, smooth and easy. Yurs sends you a kit with the different parts of leather and a tutorial. Now it’s your turn to assemble, in a few quick steps; you fold the main part, insert two three pieces here and there and your bag is ready, no sewing, gluing or any other material needed! Yurs’ classic collection carries five designs; a backpack, a belt bag that can turn clutch, a sleek laptop sleeve, a little wallet and a glasses holder. They come in black or nude full grain leather (that is the top smoothest part of the skin, we discover). Each component can be delivered separately, to match your outfit; alternating between monochrome and bicolor, but also with a sustainable long-term approach in mind; if a piece gets worn out with time you can easily replace it and keep your bag. Sabine works with natural leather ‘a timeless material which binds us to our ancestors’ she tells us. Her pieces are tanned with vegetable coloring, a sustainable choice, without any toxic heavy metals, also ‘the oldest way of coloring’. ‘The tanning’ she explains ‘gives a light sheen and stops the natural transformation of leather.’ Conscious of her environment, she finds deadstock fabrics and conceives each collection locally. The designer who creates capsules between Beirut and Brussels sources her material on location, finds local artisans, and even sells items where they are produced to minimize transport. She is now also looking to introduce leather alternatives but ‘the material needs to be robust and stiff enough to hold itself’ since there is no hardware or lining.
Sabine grew up in Aleppo, then moved to Brussels to study interior design. While doing her exchange program at Alba, in Beirut where her family now lives, the young lady was taking a stroll in bustling Bourj Hammoud and stumbled upon a leather shop. Sabine who loves experimenting with new materials, bought some leather samples, and decided to try shaping it with whatever she had on hand at home; without stitching, gluing or hardware. She drew a pattern, cut pieces and punched holes. Once she was sure the proportions fit, she took the leather to a laser cutting shop, assembled it and it worked! Carrying her books to uni, Sabine wanted a unique backpack, stylish yet affordable, so she conceived her own; to fit her laptop, her books, notebooks and wallet. She started researching more about leather, experimented with the product, visited leather fairs, learned about tanning techniques, met leather professionals and fellow designers to master the craft. Three years later, in 2019, she launched her label Yurs. Her recent crowdfunding campaign enabled her to release new products. Sabine’s greige bag is carefully placed next to her. ‘It is split leather’ she tells us ‘which has a certain grain, no sheen layer so it will get a nice patina with time.' She hints that this leather found in Beirut could be her inspiration for an upcoming made in Lebanon collection. Her friend just asked her to repair a vintage designer chair and the crafty lady is already imagining how to fold the pieces of leather to give that chair a new life. Practical, artistic and ingenious, Sabine blends refined design with our creative inner child.
